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

Mavis, 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 Mavis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mavis in America

Mavis is the 23852nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mavis surname appeared 1,059 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 Mavis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mavis 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 Mavis

The surname Mavis is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "mauvis," which means "a song thrush." This bird's name was likely adopted as a nickname for someone who had a melodious voice or enjoyed singing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mavis can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1195, where it appears as "Mauvis." This ancient record of financial accounts and feudal obligations provides valuable insight into the prevalence of the name during the medieval period in England.

In the 13th century, the name Mavis began to appear in various forms, such as "Mavys" and "Maveys," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common in those times. One notable individual from this era was John Mavys, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1279.

By the 14th century, the surname had evolved closer to its modern spelling, with examples like "Mavyse" and "Mavisse" found in historical records. During this time, the name Mavis was also associated with certain place names, such as Mavis Enderby in Lincolnshire, which was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334.

In the 16th century, the renowned English poet and playwright William Shakespeare included the name Mavis in his play "Hamlet," where it was used as a term of endearment for a sweetheart. This literary reference further solidified the name's association with the songbird and its melodious qualities.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Mavis. One such person was Andrew Mavis (1759-1824), a Scottish poet and songwriter known for his works in the Scots language. Another was Sylvester Mavis (1880-1956), an American baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Superbas in the early 20th century.

Other examples include Edna Mavis (1887-1966), an American stage and film actress active during the silent film era, and Alicia Mavis (1921-2009), a Spanish painter and sculptor renowned for her abstract and figurative works.

While the surname Mavis is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and connection to the melodious songbird have endured, providing a unique legacy for those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mavis

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mavis, 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!