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

Paiva, 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 Paiva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Paiva in America

Paiva is the 9643rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Paiva surname appeared 3,365 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 Paiva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Paiva 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 Paiva

The surname Paiva is of Portuguese origin, originating from the region of Alentejo in southern Portugal. It is believed to have derived from the word "paiva," which means "marshy area" or "reed bed" in Portuguese, suggesting that the surname may have been initially adopted by those who lived near marshlands or areas with abundant reeds.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Paiva can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical documents from Portugal. One notable reference is found in the "Livro Velho," an ancient Portuguese manuscript dating back to the 14th century, which mentions individuals bearing the surname Paiva.

In the 15th century, during the Age of Discovery, several individuals with the surname Paiva were recorded as participating in the Portuguese maritime expeditions and explorations. One such individual was João Paiva, a navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.

The surname Paiva is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Pedro Paiva, a Portuguese jurist and professor who lived in the 16th century (c. 1510-1581). Another prominent individual was Sebastião Paiva, a 17th-century Portuguese composer and organist (c. 1615-1667).

In the 18th century, José Paiva de Andrade (1725-1800) was a Portuguese politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador of Portugal to the court of Louis XVI in France. António Paiva e Pona (1729-1803) was a notable Portuguese historian and author during the same period.

Moving into the 19th century, Manuel Paiva de Andrada (1818-1877) was a Brazilian poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Brazilian literature. Another notable figure was Joaquim Paiva de Andrade (1843-1920), a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the governor of the state of Minas Gerais.

These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname Paiva throughout history, showcasing its long-standing presence and significance in various regions and contexts, particularly within the Portuguese-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Paiva

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

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

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

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