2000
#10,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,655
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Delavega
Of Spanish origin, referring to someone from the town of La Vega or living near a meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,926 Americans carry the last name Delavega. That puts it at #9,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,304 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delavega 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
3.9K
1 in 87,304
Census rank
#9,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,424 bearers of the surname Delavega in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delavega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.4%) and White (10.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delavega
The surname Delavega has its origins in Spain, traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish phrase "de la vega," which translates to "from the meadow" or "from the plain." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided in or near a fertile lowland area known as a "vega."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Delavega surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, dating back to the late 1500s. During this time, the name appeared in various municipal records and documents, indicating the presence of a Delavega family within the region.
In the 17th century, the Delavega surname gained prominence with the birth of Don Pedro Delavega y Cortes (1610-1687), a renowned Spanish military commander who played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War. His exploits and leadership earned him recognition and cemented the name in historical records.
Another notable figure bearing the Delavega surname was Juan Delavega (1745-1821), a Spanish explorer and navigator. He was part of several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and contributed to the mapping and exploration of various islands and territories.
In the realm of literature, the name Delavega is associated with María Delavega (1785-1860), a celebrated Spanish novelist and poet. Her works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and societal issues, gained widespread acclaim during her lifetime.
As the centuries progressed, the Delavega surname spread beyond Spain's borders, with families bearing this name establishing roots in various parts of Europe, Latin America, and other regions. One such example is Francisco Delavega (1890-1968), a prominent Argentine politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling and pronunciation of the Delavega surname may have occurred over time, influenced by regional dialects and linguistic adaptations. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Spanish phrase "de la vega," a testament to the rich cultural heritage embodied by this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delavega
Among Census respondents with the surname Delavega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.4%) and White (10.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Delavega 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 Delavega surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino73.9% · 2,529
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.4% · 460
- White10.6% · 364
- Two or more races1.7% · 57
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delavega
Delavega 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
#9,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,360
+705 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 1,329 places
2020
#9,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,424
+64 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 503 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,990 | 2,655 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,661 | 3,360 | 1.14 | +705 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 1,329 places |
| 2020 | #9,158 | 3,424 | 1.15 | +64 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 503 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 Delavega 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 | #9,661 | #9,158 | 5.2% |
| Count | 3,360 | 3,424 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.15 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delavega bearers went from 3,360 to 3,424 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 503 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,661 to #9,158.
FAQ
Delavega surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delavega?
Name Census estimates that about 3,926 living Americans carry the surname Delavega. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,304 residents.
How common is Delavega?
Delavega ranks #9,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,424 people with the surname Delavega. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,926), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Delavega.
Has Delavega become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delavega went from 3,360 recorded bearers to 3,424. That is an increase of 64 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,661 to #9,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Delavega?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delavega, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.4%) and White (10.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Delavega in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (2,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delavega appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (73.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.4%), White (10.6%). 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 Delavega (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 Delavega mean?
Of Spanish origin, referring to someone from the town of La Vega or living near a meadow. 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 Delavega (1.15 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 last name Delavega?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Delavega is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.