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

Selvera, 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 Selvera surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selvera in America

Selvera is the 55619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selvera surname appeared 369 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 Selvera.

We can also compare 2010 data for Selvera 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 Selvera

The surname Selvera has its origins in the ancient regions of northern Spain, particularly in the Basque region and parts of Navarre. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "selva," meaning forest or woodland. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Selvera surname can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This document contains records of land transactions and legal proceedings in the region, mentioning individuals with the name Selvera.

In the 13th century, a nobleman named Lope Selvera was listed among the noblemen who accompanied King Alfonso X of Castile during his conquest of the Kingdom of Murcia. This historical reference indicates that the Selvera family had gained prominence and held a certain social status by that time.

A notable figure bearing the Selvera surname was Juan Selvera, a renowned architect and master builder who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is credited with the construction of several important churches and monasteries in the Basque Country, including the Monastery of San Salvador de Urdax.

In the 17th century, a priest named Pedro Selvera gained recognition for his scholarly work on Basque language and literature. His treatise, "Ensayo sobre la lengua vascongada" (Essay on the Basque Language), published in 1672, was one of the earliest comprehensive studies of the Basque language and its origins.

Another influential figure was Ignacio Selvera, a military officer who fought in the Peninsular War against the French invasion of Spain in the early 19th century. He rose to the rank of Colonel and was celebrated for his bravery and strategic leadership during several key battles.

Throughout history, variations in spelling have been observed, such as Selveira, Selveyra, and Selveira-Mendiola, which may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors. Additionally, some records indicate that the name was sometimes associated with specific places or regions, such as Selvera de Cameros or Selvera de Valdegovía.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selvera

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

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

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

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