2000
#7,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,839
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Govea
A Spanish habitational surname denoting someone from any of the various places named Govea in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,105 Americans carry the last name Govea. That puts it at #6,166 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Govea 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
6.1K
1 in 56,143
Census rank
#6,166
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,324 bearers of the surname Govea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6166th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Govea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Govea
The surname Govea is of Spanish origin, originating from the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "cueva," meaning "cave" or "cavern," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or in a cave.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Govea can be traced back to the 15th century, when it appeared in historical documents from the region of Cantabria in northern Spain. The name was also found in records from the neighboring regions of Asturias and Galicia during this time.
In the 16th century, the name Govea gained prominence with the birth of Antonio de Govea (1505-1565), a renowned Portuguese humanist, philosopher, and theologian. He was a professor at the University of Coimbra and later became a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
Another notable figure with the surname Govea was Juan de Govea (1530-1595), a Spanish Catholic priest and writer. He served as a member of the Council of Trent and authored several works on theological subjects.
In the 17th century, the name Govea appeared in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru. One notable individual from this period was Juan de Govea y Escalante (1610-1682), a Spanish-born Jesuit missionary who worked extensively in New Spain (present-day Mexico).
During the 18th century, the Govea surname was also found in parts of what is now Colombia and Venezuela, likely due to the migration of Spanish settlers to these regions.
In the 19th century, the name Govea was associated with several notable figures in Latin American history. One example is Mariano Govea (1810-1870), a Mexican politician and military leader who played a role in the Reform War (1858-1861) and the French Intervention in Mexico (1861-1867).
Throughout its history, the surname Govea has been spelled in various ways, including Goveia, Cuevas, and Cueva, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and linguistic variations within the Spanish language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Govea
Among Census respondents with the surname Govea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Govea 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 Govea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 5,018
- White4.7% · 249
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 16
- Two or more races0.2% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Govea
Govea 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
#6,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,327
+1,488 bearers (+38.8%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Up 1,597 places
2020
#6,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,324
-3 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,986 | 3,839 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,389 | 5,327 | 1.81 | +1,488 bearers (+38.8%) | Up 1,597 places |
| 2020 | #6,166 | 5,324 | 1.78 | -3 bearers (-0.1%) | Up 223 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 Govea 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 | #6,389 | #6,166 | 3.5% |
| Count | 5,327 | 5,324 | -0.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.81 | 1.78 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Govea bearers went from 5,327 to 5,324 (-0.1% change). The surname moved up 223 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,389 to #6,166.
FAQ
Govea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Govea?
Name Census estimates that about 6,105 living Americans carry the surname Govea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,143 residents.
How common is Govea?
Govea ranks #6,166 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,324 people with the surname Govea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Govea.
Has Govea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Govea went from 5,327 recorded bearers to 5,324. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,389 to #6,166.
What does the Census say about the background of Govea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Govea, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Govea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (5,018 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Govea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.7%), Black (0.4%). 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 Govea (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 Govea mean?
A Spanish habitational surname denoting someone from any of the various places named Govea in Spain. 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 Govea (1.78 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 Americans have the surname Govea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.