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

Dovale, 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 Dovale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dovale in America

Dovale is the 60636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dovale surname appeared 332 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 Dovale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dovale 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 Dovale

The surname DOVALE has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is likely derived from the Spanish word "doval," which refers to a small valley or a low-lying area between hills. This suggests that the surname may have been originally associated with individuals who lived or worked in such geographical locations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DOVALE surname can be found in the Tumbo Viejo de Lugo, an ancient cartulary from the Cathedral of Lugo in Galicia. This document, dating back to the 13th century, contains references to individuals bearing the surname, albeit with slight variations in spelling, such as "Douale" or "Doualle."

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan DOVALE was mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner in the region of Pontevedra, Galicia. His descendants continued to use the surname and contributed to its spread throughout the region.

During the 16th century, the DOVALE surname gained prominence when Pedro DOVALE, a skilled navigator and explorer, joined the Spanish expeditions to the Americas. His contributions to the exploration and mapping of the New World earned him recognition in various historical accounts of the time.

Another notable figure bearing the DOVALE surname was María DOVALE, a renowned scholar and writer from the 17th century. Born in Santiago de Compostela in 1638, she gained recognition for her literary works and her contributions to the intellectual circles of her time.

In the 19th century, a prominent DOVALE family established themselves in the city of Vigo, where they played an influential role in the local economy and politics. One of their descendants, José DOVALE (1823-1892), became a respected politician and served as the mayor of Vigo during a crucial period of urban development.

Throughout the centuries, the DOVALE surname has been associated with various place names and geographical locations in the region of Galicia, such as the Valles de Dovale (Dovale Valleys) and the Aldea de Dovale (Dovale Village), which further reinforces the connection between the surname and its potential origins related to valleys or low-lying areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dovale

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!