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

Saliva, 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 Saliva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saliva in America

Saliva is the 154907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saliva surname appeared 105 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 Saliva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saliva 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 Saliva

The surname "SALIVA" is thought to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period, specifically in the regions of modern-day Spain and Portugal. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "saliva," which means "spit" or "drool."

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Cartulario de la Catedral de León, a manuscript dating back to the 12th century. In this document, there is a mention of a certain "Petrus Saliva," who was likely a resident of the city of León or its surrounding areas.

During the 13th century, the name appears to have spread throughout the Kingdom of Aragon and the Crown of Castile. In the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a census-like record from the reign of King Alfonso XI (1312-1350), there are several references to individuals bearing the surname Saliva, particularly in the regions of Burgos and Palencia.

One notable figure from this era was Rodrigo Saliva, a nobleman and landowner from the city of Soria, whose name is mentioned in various charters and legal documents from the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

In the 15th century, the surname can be found in various parts of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Kingdom of Portugal. One example is Fernão Saliva, a merchant and explorer who is recorded as having participated in expeditions along the West African coast in the 1460s.

During the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas due to Spanish and Portuguese exploration and colonization efforts. In the records of the Inquisition in Mexico, there is a mention of a certain Diego Saliva, who was investigated for alleged heretical beliefs in the late 1500s.

Another notable figure from this period was Juan Saliva, a Spanish soldier and navigator who participated in the conquest of the Philippines in the 1570s under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi.

As the centuries passed, the surname "SALIVA" continued to be found in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Spanish or Portuguese influence. However, it is important to note that the name remained relatively uncommon compared to other surnames of Iberian origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saliva

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

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

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

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