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

Gavilán, 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 Gavilán surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gavilán in America

Gavilán is the 45569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gavilán surname appeared 469 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 Gavilán.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gavilán 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 Gavilán

The surname Gavilan originates from Spain and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "gavilán," which means "sparrowhawk" or a type of small hawk. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who hunted or worked with these birds of prey.

Gavilan is a locational surname, meaning it likely originated from a specific place or region in Spain where the first bearers of the name resided. One possible location is the town of Gavilán in the province of Ávila, Castile and León. This town's name itself is derived from the Spanish word for hawk, indicating a connection to the surname's meaning.

Early records of the Gavilan surname can be found in various historical documents from medieval Spain. For instance, the Catalan manuscript "Llibre del Repartiment" from the 13th century mentions individuals with the name Gavilan who were among the early settlers in the Kingdom of Valencia after the Reconquista.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Juan Gavilan served as a royal secretary and diplomat in the court of King Juan II of Aragon. Another notable bearer of the name was Alonso Gavilan, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the Americas in 1498.

During the 16th century, the Gavilan surname appeared in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Basque Country. One influential individual was Pedro Gavilan, a Jesuit priest and missionary who worked in Peru and authored several religious texts in the Quechua language.

In the 17th century, Miguel Gavilan was a renowned Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious artwork and portraits. He was active in Madrid and worked for the Spanish royal court during the reign of King Philip IV.

Another notable bearer of the Gavilan surname was José Gavilan, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against the French in the early 19th century. He played a role in the Battle of Bailén, a significant Spanish victory during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the Gavilan surname has its roots in Spain, it has also spread to other Spanish-speaking countries and regions due to migration and colonization, particularly in Latin America and the Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gavilán

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

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

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

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