2000
#8,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,355
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Navas
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating one who came from any of several places named Navas, meaning "plains."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,845 Americans carry the last name Navas. That puts it at #6,413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,641 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Navas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,641
Census rank
#6,413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,097 bearers of the surname Navas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Navas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Navas
Among Census respondents with the surname Navas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Navas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Navas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.8% · 4,524
- White9.1% · 463
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 51
- Black or African American0.7% · 36
- Two or more races0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Navas
Navas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,953
+1,598 bearers (+47.6%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 2,156 places
2020
#6,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,097
+144 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,965 | 3,355 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,809 | 4,953 | 1.68 | +1,598 bearers (+47.6%) | Up 2,156 places |
| 2020 | #6,413 | 5,097 | 1.71 | +144 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 396 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Navas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,809 | #6,413 | 5.8% |
| Count | 4,953 | 5,097 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.71 | 1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Navas bearers went from 4,953 to 5,097 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 396 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,809 to #6,413.
FAQ
Navas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Navas?
Name Census estimates that about 5,845 living Americans carry the surname Navas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,641 residents.
How common is Navas?
Navas ranks #6,413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,097 people with the surname Navas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Navas.
Has Navas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Navas went from 4,953 recorded bearers to 5,097. That is an increase of 144 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,809 to #6,413.
What does the Census say about the background of Navas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Navas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Navas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (4,524 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Navas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.8%), White (9.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Navas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Navas mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating one who came from any of several places named Navas, meaning "plains." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Navas (1.71 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Navas?
You can see how many people have the last name Navas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.