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

Narváez, 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 Narváez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Narváez in America

Narváez is the 3373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Narváez surname appeared 10,579 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Narváez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Narváez 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 Narváez

The surname Narvaez originated in Spain, likely emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish place name "Narváez," which refers to a town or region in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura. The place name itself may have its roots in the Basque language, potentially connected to words related to "valley" or "mountain pass."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Narvaez can be found in the 16th century with Pánfilo de Narváez, a Spanish conquistador and explorer born around 1470. He is known for his unsuccessful attempts to conquer and colonize Florida, as well as his involvement in the conquest of Cuba. His expedition to Florida in 1528 ended in disaster, and he is believed to have died sometime in 1528 or 1529.

Another notable figure with the surname Narvaez was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, born in 1519. He was a Spanish sailor, explorer, and soldier who founded the city of St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, establishing the first permanent European settlement in what would become the continental United States.

In the 17th century, Juan Narvaez Prado, a Spanish painter and engraver, was active in Madrid and Seville. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, and his work can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.

The 19th century saw the birth of Ramón María Narváez y Campos, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1844 to 1846. He played a significant role in the Carlist Wars and was influential in Spanish politics during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

In more recent times, José María Narváez Teruel, born in 1940, is a Spanish painter and sculptor known for his abstract and geometric works. His art has been exhibited in galleries around the world, and he is considered one of the most important contemporary artists from Spain.

While the surname Narvaez has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries with Spanish colonial influences, such as Mexico and Argentina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Narváez

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

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

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

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