2000
#8,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,795
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Saravia
A locational surname of Spanish origin, referring to someone from any of the various places called Saravia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,722 Americans carry the last name Saravia. That puts it at #5,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,387 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saravia 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
7.7K
1 in 44,387
Census rank
#5,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,734 bearers of the surname Saravia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saravia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saravia
The surname Saravia is of Spanish origin, originating from the region of Aragon in northeastern Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "serranus," meaning "of the mountains" or "mountaineer," which later evolved into the Spanish word "serrano."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Saravia can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from the Kingdom of Aragon. One notable mention is found in the "Libro de Fuegos" (Book of Fires), a tax record from the year 1495, which listed several individuals with the surname Saravia residing in various towns and villages across Aragon.
In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Adrián Saravia (1531-1613), a Spanish Protestant theologian and reformer. He was born in Hesdin, Artois (now part of France), and was a prominent figure in the Anglican Church during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Another notable individual was Juan de Saravia (c. 1540-1614), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1598 to 1602. He played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization efforts in Central America.
In the 17th century, the surname Saravia was found in various regions of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro de Saravia y Navarro (1598-1667), a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1648 to 1654.
During the 18th century, the surname Saravia continued to appear in historical records, particularly in Spain and its colonies. Gregorio de Saravia (1710-1788) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1768 to 1776.
In the 19th century, the surname Saravia gained further recognition with the birth of José Saravia Jofré (1837-1904), a Chilean politician and lawyer who served as the President of Chile from 1891 to 1892.
Throughout its history, the surname Saravia has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as "Sarabia," "Sarauia," and "Sarauya," which reflect the linguistic evolution of the name over time. While the surname has spread to various parts of the world, its roots can be traced back to the mountainous regions of Aragon in northeastern Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saravia
Among Census respondents with the surname Saravia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Saravia 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 Saravia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.9% · 6,456
- White3.1% · 209
- Black or African American0.5% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 14
- Two or more races0.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saravia
Saravia 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
#5,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,207
+2,412 bearers (+63.6%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 2,454 places
2020
#5,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,734
+527 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Up 553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,057 | 3,795 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,603 | 6,207 | 2.10 | +2,412 bearers (+63.6%) | Up 2,454 places |
| 2020 | #5,050 | 6,734 | 2.25 | +527 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 553 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 Saravia 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 | #5,603 | #5,050 | 9.9% |
| Count | 6,207 | 6,734 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.10 | 2.25 | 7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saravia bearers went from 6,207 to 6,734 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 553 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,603 to #5,050.
FAQ
Saravia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saravia?
Name Census estimates that about 7,722 living Americans carry the surname Saravia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,387 residents.
How common is Saravia?
Saravia ranks #5,050 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.25 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 6,734 people with the surname Saravia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,722), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.25 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 Saravia.
Has Saravia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saravia went from 6,207 recorded bearers to 6,734. That is an increase of 527 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,603 to #5,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Saravia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saravia, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Saravia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (6,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saravia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.9%), White (3.1%), Black (0.5%). 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 Saravia (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 Saravia mean?
A locational surname of Spanish origin, referring to someone from any of the various places called Saravia. 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 Saravia (2.25 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 have the last name Saravia?
Find out how common the surname Saravia is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.