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

Naval, 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 Naval surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naval in America

Naval is the 32302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naval surname appeared 713 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 Naval.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naval 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 Naval

The surname Naval has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "naval," meaning "naval" or related to the navy or maritime activities. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in seafaring professions or residing in coastal regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Naval surname can be traced back to the 13th century, appearing in various historical documents from the Spanish region of Catalonia. Variants of the name, such as Navall and Naval, were also found in records from this era.

In the 14th century, the Naval surname was documented in the town of Tortosa, located in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia. This region's proximity to the Mediterranean Sea likely contributed to the surname's association with maritime activities.

During the 15th century, the Naval surname gained prominence in the city of Barcelona, where several individuals bearing this name were involved in trade and commerce related to the shipping industry. One notable figure from this time was Joan Naval, a prominent merchant and shipowner who lived from 1435 to 1502.

As the Spanish Empire expanded in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Naval surname spread to various parts of the Spanish territories, including the Americas. One notable individual from this period was Pedro Naval, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 1500s.

In the 18th century, the Naval surname appeared in various Spanish colonial records from the Caribbean and South America. One notable figure from this era was Sebastián Naval, a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of the island of Puerto Rico from 1768 to 1776.

As the Naval surname spread throughout the Spanish-speaking world, it also found its way to other regions, including parts of Europe and the Philippines. One notable individual from the Philippines was José Naval, a prominent writer and journalist who lived from 1870 to 1936.

Throughout history, the Naval surname has been associated with individuals involved in maritime activities, trade, exploration, and military service. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Spain, the name has since gained a global presence, reflecting the far-reaching influence of Spanish culture and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naval

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

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

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

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