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

Ovalle, 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 Ovalle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ovalle in America

Ovalle is the 4610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ovalle surname appeared 7,698 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ovalle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ovalle 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 Ovalle

The surname Ovalle has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Spanish word "ovala," which translates to "oval" or "oblong," possibly referring to a physical or geographical feature associated with an early bearer of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ovalle surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a medieval census document from the 14th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Ovalle residing in the regions of Burgos and León.

The name Ovalle is thought to have been initially concentrated in the northern regions of Spain, particularly in the provinces of Asturias and Cantabria. Some historians suggest that the name may have originated from a small village or hamlet bearing a similar name, though the exact location remains uncertain.

In the 16th century, the Ovalle name gained prominence when Juan Ovalle y Godoy (1515-1588), a Spanish soldier and conquistador, participated in the conquest of Chile under Pedro de Valdivia. Ovalle y Godoy later became one of the founders of the city of Santiago, Chile.

Another notable figure with the Ovalle surname was Alonso de Ovalle (1601-1651), a Jesuit priest and author from Chile. He wrote the book "Histórica Relación del Reino de Chile" (Historical Account of the Kingdom of Chile), which provided valuable insights into the geography, culture, and history of Chile during the 17th century.

In the realm of literature, Francisco Núñez de Ovalle (1590-1645) was a Spanish playwright and poet who gained recognition for his works during the Spanish Golden Age. His plays, such as "Comedia de la Excelencia de la Rosa" (Comedy of the Excellence of the Rose), were widely celebrated.

Another prominent figure was José Miguel Ovalle y Blanco (1786-1831), a Chilean military leader and politician who played a significant role in the Chilean War of Independence against Spain. He served as the Minister of War and Navy during the early years of independent Chile.

Lastly, Pascual de Ovalle y Alderete (1627-1701) was a Spanish diplomat and writer who served as the ambassador of Spain to the Holy Roman Empire. He authored several works on political and religious topics, including "Elogios de la Vida, Virtudes, y Milagros del Santo Condestable de Portugal" (Praises of the Life, Virtues, and Miracles of the Holy Constable of Portugal).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ovalle

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

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

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

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