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

Novoa, 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 Novoa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Novoa in America

Novoa is the 7756th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Novoa surname appeared 4,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Novoa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Novoa 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 Novoa

The surname NOVOA originated in Spain, specifically in the regions of Galicia and Asturias, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "novus," meaning "new," and likely referred to someone who had recently settled in a particular area or was a newcomer.

One of the earliest recorded references to the NOVOA surname can be found in the "Libro de la Nobleza" (Book of Nobility), a 14th-century manuscript that documented the noble families of Galicia. The name appears in this document, suggesting that the NOVOA family had already established themselves as part of the local nobility by that time.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Fernán Pérez de Novoa is mentioned in historical records as a knight and vassal of the Count of Lemos, a powerful noble in Galicia. This indicates that the NOVOA family had achieved a certain level of status and recognition during that period.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the NOVOA family played notable roles in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One such individual was Pedro de Novoa, who served as a conquistador and explorer in Chile and Peru during the early years of Spanish colonization.

Another notable bearer of the NOVOA surname was Juan de Novoa, a 17th-century author and playwright from Galicia. He is best known for his work "Comedia de la Gloria de Niquea," a celebrated drama of the Spanish Golden Age.

In more recent history, José María Novoa Iglesias (1878-1959) was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament and played a significant role in the political events of his time.

It is worth noting that the NOVOA surname has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as the town of Novoa in the province of Ourense, Galicia. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific geographic location in the region.

Overall, the surname NOVOA has a rich history rooted in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Galicia and Asturias, and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Novoa

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

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

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