2000
#5,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Ovalle
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the valley" or "of the valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,528 Americans carry the last name Ovalle. That puts it at #4,626 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ovalle 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
8.5K
1 in 40,192
Census rank
#4,626
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,437 bearers of the surname Ovalle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4626th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ovalle, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ovalle
Among Census respondents with the surname Ovalle, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ovalle 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 Ovalle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.4% · 6,944
- White5.8% · 430
- Two or more races0.3% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
- Black or African American0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ovalle
Ovalle 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
#4,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,698
+2,232 bearers (+40.8%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Up 1,182 places
2020
#4,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,437
-261 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.49
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,792 | 5,466 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,610 | 7,698 | 2.61 | +2,232 bearers (+40.8%) | Up 1,182 places |
| 2020 | #4,626 | 7,437 | 2.49 | -261 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 16 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 Ovalle 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 | #4,610 | #4,626 | -0.3% |
| Count | 7,698 | 7,437 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.49 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ovalle bearers went from 7,698 to 7,437 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,610 to #4,626.
FAQ
Ovalle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ovalle?
Name Census estimates that about 8,528 living Americans carry the surname Ovalle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,192 residents.
How common is Ovalle?
Ovalle ranks #4,626 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.49 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 7,437 people with the surname Ovalle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,528), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.49 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 Ovalle.
Has Ovalle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ovalle went from 7,698 recorded bearers to 7,437. That is a decrease of 261 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,610 to #4,626.
What does the Census say about the background of Ovalle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ovalle, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Ovalle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (6,944 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ovalle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.4%), White (5.8%), Two or More Races (0.3%). 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 Ovalle (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 Ovalle mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the valley" or "of the valley." 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 Ovalle (2.49 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 are called Ovalle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Ovalle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.