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

Ojalvo, 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 Ojalvo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ojalvo in America

Ojalvo is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ojalvo surname appeared 115 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 Ojalvo.

The history of the last name Ojalvo

The surname Ojalvo has its origins in the Sephardic Jewish community of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have evolved from the Hebrew name "Oholiav" or "Oholiab," which was the name of a skilled artisan mentioned in the Book of Exodus in the Bible.

The name Ojalvo is thought to have first appeared in medieval Spain, where Sephardic Jews lived for centuries before their expulsion in 1492. Records from that time period show variations of the name, such as Ogalvo, Ogalbo, and Ogalvo.

One of the earliest known references to the name Ojalvo comes from a 14th-century document from the city of Seville, which mentions a Jew named Isaac Ojalvo. This document provides evidence that the name was in use among the Sephardic Jewish community in Spain during that time.

As the Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century, many families with the surname Ojalvo dispersed throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond. Some settled in North Africa, particularly in Morocco, while others found refuge in Italy, the Netherlands, and the Ottoman Empire.

One notable figure with the surname Ojalvo was Jacob Ojalvo, a 16th-century Sephardic Jewish scholar and physician who lived in Venice, Italy. He was known for his expertise in medicine and wrote several works on medical topics.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Abraham Ojalvo, a 17th-century rabbi and kabbalist who lived in Fez, Morocco. He was renowned for his knowledge of Jewish mysticism and his writings on the Kabbalah.

In the 18th century, a family with the surname Ojalvo settled in the Netherlands, where they became successful merchants and traders. One member of this family, Isaac Ojalvo, was a prominent financier and philanthropist in Amsterdam in the late 1700s.

As the Sephardic Jewish diaspora spread further, individuals with the surname Ojalvo can be found in various parts of the world, including the Americas, where many settled after fleeing persecution in Europe and North Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ojalvo

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

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 Ojalvo 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.

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

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

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