Find out how popular the last name Calva is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Calva.

Calva, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Calva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calva in America

Calva is the 23300th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calva surname appeared 1,093 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Calva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calva to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Calva

The surname Calva originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "calvus," meaning "bald." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was bald or had a receding hairline.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calva can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy dating back to the 8th century. This indicates that the name was already in use during this era.

In the 13th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Calvo," appeared in the "Statuti di Brescia," a legal code from the city of Brescia in northern Italy. This document mentions several individuals with this surname, suggesting that the name was well-established in the region at that time.

During the Renaissance period, the Calva surname was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Giovanni Calva (1456-1516), a Venetian scholar and humanist who wrote extensively on classical literature and philosophy.

Another prominent figure with the Calva surname was Bartolomeo Calva (1501-1570), an Italian painter and architect who worked in the Mannerist style. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the Calva family produced a celebrated military leader, Marcantonio Calva (1610-1678). He served as a general in the army of the Republic of Venice and played a significant role in the defense of the city during the Ottoman-Venetian War.

The Calva surname also has connections to various place names throughout Italy. For example, the town of Calvanico in the province of Salerno is believed to have derived its name from the Latin word "calvus," potentially indicating a historical connection to the Calva family or individuals with that surname.

Other notable individuals with the Calva surname include Giuseppe Calva (1801-1875), an Italian politician and writer who served as a member of the Piedmontese Parliament, and Cesare Calva (1888-1966), an Italian military officer and politician who played a role in the Resistance movement during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Calva.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Calva was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Calva has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Calva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Calva, please contact us.

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