2000
#4,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,690
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Uncommon Last name
Tavarez
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Álvaro, which likely originated from the Germanic name Alfher, meaning "elf warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,780 Americans carry the last name Tavarez. That puts it at #3,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tavarez 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
13K
1 in 26,820
Census rank
#3,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,145 bearers of the surname Tavarez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tavarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tavarez
The surname Tavarez originated in Spain and Portugal, derived from the Latin word "taberna" meaning "tavern" or "inn." It first appeared in records during the medieval period, referring to individuals who owned or operated taverns or inns.
The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Galicia, Asturias, and northern Portugal, where the earliest known bearers of the surname lived. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries show variations in spelling, such as Tavernero, Taverneiro, and Tavernier.
One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Libro Becerro, a medieval census document from the 13th century, which lists several individuals with the surname Tavarez in the region of Galicia. The name is also mentioned in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of religious poems written in the 13th century by King Alfonso X of Castile.
In the 15th century, a prominent individual named Juan Tavarez was a member of the Royal Council of Castile during the reign of King Juan II. Another notable figure was Pedro Tavarez, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
During the 16th century, the Tavarez surname spread to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and the Caribbean. One of the earliest recorded instances is Hernando Tavarez, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
In Portugal, the surname is also found in historical records, with variations such as Tavarés and Tavares. A notable bearer was João Tavares, a 16th-century Portuguese navigator and explorer who led several expeditions to Brazil and the East Indies.
Other individuals with the Tavarez surname include Juan Tavarez, a Spanish military commander who fought against the Dutch in the 17th century, and Bartolomé Tavarez, a Spanish painter active in the 18th century known for his religious works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tavarez
Among Census respondents with the surname Tavarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tavarez 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 Tavarez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 10,558
- White3.5% · 393
- Black or African American1.1% · 121
- Two or more races0.4% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tavarez
Tavarez 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
#3,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,201
+3,511 bearers (+52.5%)
Per 100,000 3.46
Rank movement Up 1,314 places
2020
#3,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,145
+944 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Up 345 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,817 | 6,690 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,503 | 10,201 | 3.46 | +3,511 bearers (+52.5%) | Up 1,314 places |
| 2020 | #3,158 | 11,145 | 3.73 | +944 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 345 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 Tavarez 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 | #3,503 | #3,158 | 9.8% |
| Count | 10,201 | 11,145 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.46 | 3.73 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tavarez bearers went from 10,201 to 11,145 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 345 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,503 to #3,158.
FAQ
Tavarez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tavarez?
Name Census estimates that about 12,780 living Americans carry the surname Tavarez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,820 residents.
How common is Tavarez?
Tavarez ranks #3,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,145 people with the surname Tavarez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,780), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Tavarez.
Has Tavarez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tavarez went from 10,201 recorded bearers to 11,145. That is an increase of 944 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,503 to #3,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Tavarez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tavarez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Black (1.1%). 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 Tavarez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (10,558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tavarez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (3.5%), Black (1.1%). 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 Tavarez (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 Tavarez mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Álvaro, which likely originated from the Germanic name Alfher, meaning "elf warrior." 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 Tavarez (3.73 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 are called Tavarez?
You can see how many people are called Tavarez on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.