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

Navas, 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 Navas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Navas in America

Navas is the 6809th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Navas surname appeared 4,953 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Navas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Navas 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 Navas

The surname Navas originated in Spain and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "nava," which means a flat, treeless plain or a grassy meadow. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in or near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Navas can be found in the thirteenth century. In 1212, a nobleman named Rodrigo Navas fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the pivotal Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against the Almohad Muslim rulers. This battle was a turning point in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule.

The Navas surname is also associated with the town of Las Navas de Tolosa in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. This town likely took its name from the nearby flatlands or meadows, and the surname may have originated from this particular location. The variant spelling "Navas de Tolosa" is sometimes found in historical records.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Navas surname. In the fifteenth century, Juan de Navas was a Spanish diplomat and ambassador to the court of King Henry VII of England. Another Juan de Navas (1516-1589) was a renowned Spanish architect and sculptor known for his works in the Renaissance style.

In the seventeenth century, Gaspar Navas (1619-1689) was a Spanish painter and portraitist who worked in the Baroque tradition. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Spain. During the same period, José de Navas (1647-1721) was a celebrated Spanish composer and organist who served at the Royal Chapel in Madrid.

In more recent times, Manuel Navas (1809-1895) was a Venezuelan military leader and politician who played a significant role in the country's independence struggles. He served as the President of Venezuela from 1835 to 1839.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Navas

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

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

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

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