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

Chávez, 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 Chávez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chávez in America

Chávez is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chávez surname appeared 145 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 Chávez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chávez 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 Chávez

The surname "CHAUEZ" is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "chauza," which means "a small plot of land" or "a small farm." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who owned or worked on a small agricultural property.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "CHAUEZ" can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Andalusia and Castile. Some of the earliest known bearers of this surname include Juan Chauez, who was mentioned in a land registry document from the town of Córdoba in 1287, and Pedro Chauez, a farmer from the village of Almazán, whose name appears in a census record from 1311.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the name "CHAUEZ" began to spread beyond Spain as Spanish explorers and settlers ventured into the Americas and other parts of the world. One notable figure from this time is Diego Chauez, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name "CHAUEZ" appears in various historical records throughout Spain and its colonies. For instance, Francisca Chauez was a landowner in the city of Seville, Spain, whose name is documented in a property deed from 1632. Another notable individual was Juan Chauez, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of the Philippines and later settled in the city of Manila in the 1650s.

As the centuries passed, the surname "CHAUEZ" continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life. One prominent figure was Miguel Chauez, a Spanish painter and artist who lived in the late 18th century and is known for his portraits of the Spanish nobility. In the 19th century, José Chauez was a renowned Spanish poet and writer who contributed significantly to the Romantic literary movement in Spain.

Throughout its history, the surname "CHAUEZ" has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from farmers and landowners to soldiers, artists, and writers. While the name has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by those who have embraced the rich cultural heritage and traditions of this Iberian peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chávez

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

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 Chávez 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 Chávez 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 Chávez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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