2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Avise
A surname derived from the French word "avis" meaning "advice" or "opinion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Avise. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avise surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Avise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avise, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avise
The surname Avise has its origins in France, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "avis," meaning "opinion" or "advice." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who offered counsel or had a reputation for wisdom.
In the earliest records, the name appears with variations in spelling, such as Avis, Avize, and Avyse. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Cartulaire de Redon, a medieval cartulary from Brittany, where a certain Guillelmus Avis is mentioned in the year 1262.
The Avise surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 15th century, Jean Avise was a prominent lawyer and jurist in Normandy. Records from 1471 indicate that he served as the Lieutenant General of the Bailiwick of Caux.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the region of Champagne. In 1583, Pierre Avize is recorded as a respected vintner in the village of Avize, which may have influenced the spelling variation of the surname.
In the 17th century, Jacques Avise (1620-1677) was a French mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the development of calculating devices and is remembered for his work on logarithmic scales.
Another noteworthy figure was Marie Avise (1658-1735), a French playwright and poet. Her works, which included several tragedies and comedies, were widely popular during her lifetime and earned her recognition within literary circles.
In the 18th century, the Avise surname appeared in connection with Louis Avise (1712-1780), a renowned architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several prominent buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Sulpice.
These historical references demonstrate the widespread presence of the Avise surname across different regions of France and its association with individuals from various professions and backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avise
Among Census respondents with the surname Avise, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Avise bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Avise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avise
Avise appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,514 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,514 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 11,222 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Avise surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #133,048 | #144,270 | -8.4% |
| Count | 127 | 117 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avise bearers went from 127 to 117 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 11,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #144,270.
FAQ
Avise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avise?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Avise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Avise?
Avise ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Avise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Avise.
Has Avise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avise went from 127 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Avise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avise, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Avise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Hispanic (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Avise (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Avise mean?
A surname derived from the French word "avis" meaning "advice" or "opinion". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Avise (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Avise?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.