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

Raver, 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 Raver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raver in America

Raver is the 22216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raver surname appeared 1,161 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 Raver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raver 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 Raver

The surname Raver has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the German word "raven," which means "to rave" or "to talk wildly." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who was known for their passionate or intense speech.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raver can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany. In this text, dated around the 13th century, there is a reference to a person named "Henricus Raver."

During the 14th century, the Raver name appeared in various records and manuscripts across Germanic regions. For example, in the Bürgermeisterbuch of Nuremberg, a document recording the city's mayors and council members, there is an entry for "Konrad Raver" in the year 1384.

In the 15th century, the name Raver began to spread beyond Germany, with records showing its presence in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure from this period was Hans Raver, a Swiss merchant and banker who lived from 1435 to 1502.

As the name continued to evolve, variations in spelling emerged, such as Raver, Raver, and Räver. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local place names. For instance, in the town of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, there was a family surnamed Räver, which may have been a variation derived from the town's name.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Raver was Johann Raver, a German composer and organist who lived from 1623 to 1684. His works, including numerous church cantatas and organ pieces, were widely renowned during the Baroque period.

Another notable Raver was Friedrich Raver, a German philosopher and educator born in 1770. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, education, and political theory.

In the 19th century, the Raver name gained recognition through the achievements of Carl Raver, a German-American engineer and inventor who lived from 1820 to 1891. He is best known for his contributions to the development of early telephone technology and his work with Alexander Graham Bell.

As the centuries passed, the Raver surname continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by generations of emigrants and immigrants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raver

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

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

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

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