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

Saldivia, 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 Saldivia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saldivia in America

Saldivia is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saldivia surname appeared 112 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 Saldivia.

The history of the last name Saldivia

The surname Saldivia has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have derived from the combination of the Basque words "saldi," meaning "sale" or "bargain," and "ibia," meaning "river" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a river where trade or commerce took place.

The earliest known record of the name Saldivia dates back to the 13th century in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. In a document from 1257, a person named Lope Saldivia was mentioned as a landowner in the town of Tolosa. This indicates that the name was already established in the region at that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Saldivia, Saldibie, and Saldibide, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era. One notable reference is found in the Fuero de Navarra, a legal code from the Kingdom of Navarre, where a certain Juan Saldivia is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in 1348.

The name Saldivia has also been associated with several prominent figures throughout history. One such person was Pedro Saldivia, a 16th-century merchant and explorer from Bilbao, Spain. He is credited with leading one of the earliest expeditions to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the 1540s, seeking a potential trade route to Asia.

Another notable bearer of the name was Juana Saldivia, a 17th-century poet and writer from Seville, Spain. Her works, including several collections of poems and plays, gained recognition in literary circles of her time, and she was praised for her skill in both Spanish and Latin verse.

In the 18th century, Francisco Saldivia was a renowned architect from Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. He designed several churches and civic buildings in the Basque Country, including the iconic Iglesia de San Miguel in Vitoria. His contributions significantly influenced the architectural landscape of the region.

During the 19th century, Miguel Saldivia was a prominent military leader who fought in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil conflicts in Spain over the issue of succession to the throne. He rose to the rank of general and was recognized for his bravery and strategic leadership on the battlefield.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Saldivia was Emilio Saldivia, a Chilean writer and journalist born in 1908. His novels and short stories, often depicting the lives of working-class people and the struggles of society, earned him critical acclaim and several literary awards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saldivia

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

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

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

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