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

Chavera, 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 Chavera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chavera in America

Chavera is the 36900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chavera surname appeared 605 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 Chavera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chavera 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 Chavera

The surname Chavera is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "chavera," which means "place where livestock is kept." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been individuals involved in the raising or tending of livestock, such as shepherds or farmers.

The name Chavera is most commonly found in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain, where the pastoral tradition has deep roots. It is possible that the name may have originated in these areas, where it was initially used to identify individuals associated with the livestock industry.

While there are no definitive records of the name's earliest appearances, some historians have speculated that it may have been present in the Libro de la Huerta, a 13th-century manuscript that documented agricultural practices and land ownership in the region of Valencia.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Chavera was Juan Chavera, a shepherd from the village of Almería, whose name appears in a land registry from 1487. Another notable figure was Rodrigo Chavera, a prominent landowner and cattle rancher who lived in Seville in the early 16th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Chavera family established itself as a prominent lineage in the region of Extremadura. Notable individuals from this period include Juana Chavera (1548-1621), a philanthropist known for her charitable works in the city of Cáceres, and Diego Chavera (1592-1668), a military officer who served in the Spanish army during the Thirty Years' War.

In the 18th century, the Chavera name gained further recognition with the birth of Francisco Chavera (1712-1784), a renowned poet and playwright whose works celebrated the pastoral traditions of his native Extremadura.

While the surname Chavera is not as common as some other Spanish surnames, it has maintained a presence in various regions of Spain and has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, ranging from humble shepherds to landowners, military officers, and artists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chavera

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

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

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

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