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

Lavia, 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 Lavia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lavia in America

Lavia is the 82044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lavia surname appeared 230 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 Lavia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lavia 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 Lavia

The surname Lavia is of Spanish origin, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish region of Catalonia, specifically in the town of Llavià, located in the Pyrenees mountains near the French border.

Lavia is derived from the Catalan word "llavi," meaning "lip" or "edge." This name possibly referred to someone who lived near the edge of a settlement or a geographical feature like a cliff or river bank. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname for someone with prominent lips.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lavia surname can be found in the archives of the Cathedral of Barcelona, where a certain Pedro Lavia was listed as a resident of the city in 1487. Another early reference comes from the town of Manresa, where a merchant named Jaume Lavia was mentioned in a trade document dated 1521.

In the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Spain, with records showing a Juan Lavia residing in Seville in 1572. During this period, the surname also appeared in various spellings, such as Llavía, Llavía, and Llaviá, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One notable figure bearing the Lavia surname was Pedro Lavia y Riera (1630-1692), a Catalan painter who was renowned for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in several churches and museums throughout Catalonia.

Another prominent individual was Juana Lavia (1785-1853), a Spanish philanthropist and activist from Madrid. She founded several charitable organizations dedicated to assisting the poor and advocating for women's rights.

In the 19th century, the Lavia surname made its way to the Americas, with records showing several individuals with this name settling in countries like Argentina and Mexico. One such person was José Lavia (1821-1897), an Argentine landowner and politician who served as a member of the provincial legislature in Córdoba.

Miguel Lavia (1870-1944) was a Mexican writer and journalist who contributed to various literary magazines and newspapers in the early 20th century. His works explored themes of social justice and the struggles of the working class.

Lastly, Margarita Lavia (1892-1968) was a Spanish-born dancer and choreographer who gained fame for her performances in Europe and the United States. She was known for her interpretations of Spanish folk dances and collaborated with renowned composers and artists of her time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lavia

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

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

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

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