2000
#5,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.08
Rare Last name
Talavera
A locational surname referring to someone from Talavera, a city in central Spain known for its pottery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,652 Americans carry the last name Talavera. That puts it at #4,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Talavera 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
8.7K
1 in 39,616
Census rank
#4,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,545 bearers of the surname Talavera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Talavera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Talavera
The surname Talavera originated in Spain, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Spanish town of Talavera de la Reina, located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha. The town's name is believed to have its origins in the Latin phrase "Talabriga Vetus," meaning "old town on the Tagus River."
Talavera de la Reina was an important ceramics center during the Middle Ages, renowned for its exquisite glazed pottery known as "Talavera pottery." This connection to the town's rich artisanal heritage may have contributed to the surname's widespread adoption by families associated with the pottery trade or residing in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Talavera can be found in the 13th-century "Libro de Repartimiento," a census document from the Kingdom of Valencia. This record mentions individuals bearing the name, indicating its usage during the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Talavera. Juan de Talavera (1492-1557) was a Spanish friar and the first Archbishop of Granada after the city's reconquest from the Moors. His tenure was marked by efforts to promote religious tolerance and education among the newly converted population.
Another prominent individual was Francisco Talavera (1504-1561), a renowned Spanish sculptor and architect who played a significant role in the Renaissance art movement in Spain. His masterpieces, such as the choir stalls in the Cathedral of Toledo, are considered architectural marvels.
In the realm of literature, Gaspar de Talavera (1592-1667) was a Spanish playwright and poet known for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age. His works, including comedies and religious plays, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime.
The surname also gained recognition in the military. Diego de Talavera (1630-1701) was a Spanish naval officer and admiral who played a crucial role in the Battle of La Navidad during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Lastly, Ramón Talavera (1789-1867) was a Spanish painter and engraver renowned for his landscapes and religious works. His paintings adorned several churches and palaces in Spain, showcasing his exceptional talent and mastery of the Baroque style.
While these are just a few examples, the Talavera surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout the centuries, reflecting the rich tapestry of Spanish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Talavera
Among Census respondents with the surname Talavera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Talavera 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 Talavera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.9% · 6,706
- White5.2% · 392
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 350
- Black or African American0.6% · 43
- Two or more races0.5% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Talavera
Talavera 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
#4,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,777
+2,162 bearers (+38.5%)
Per 100,000 2.64
Rank movement Up 1,111 places
2020
#4,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,545
-232 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,670 | 5,615 | 2.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,559 | 7,777 | 2.64 | +2,162 bearers (+38.5%) | Up 1,111 places |
| 2020 | #4,564 | 7,545 | 2.52 | -232 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 5 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 Talavera 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 | #4,559 | #4,564 | -0.1% |
| Count | 7,777 | 7,545 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.64 | 2.52 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Talavera bearers went from 7,777 to 7,545 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,559 to #4,564.
FAQ
Talavera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Talavera?
Name Census estimates that about 8,652 living Americans carry the surname Talavera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,616 residents.
How common is Talavera?
Talavera ranks #4,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,545 people with the surname Talavera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Talavera.
Has Talavera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Talavera went from 7,777 recorded bearers to 7,545. That is a decrease of 232 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,559 to #4,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Talavera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Talavera, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Talavera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (6,706 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Talavera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.9%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Talavera (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 Talavera mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Talavera, a city in central Spain known for its pottery. 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 Talavera (2.52 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 share the surname Talavera?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.