2000
#4,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,559
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.43
Uncommon Last name
Taveras
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tavera, likely referring to someone from that locality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,588 Americans carry the last name Taveras. That puts it at #3,206 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,229 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Taveras 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 27,229
Census rank
#3,206
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,977 bearers of the surname Taveras in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3206th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Taveras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Taveras
The surname Taveras is of Spanish origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the province of Seville in southern Spain, where it was likely derived from the Spanish word "taberna," meaning "tavern" or "inn." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who owned or worked at taverns or inns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taveras can be found in the archives of the Spanish Inquisition, where a person by the name of Juan Taveras was mentioned in a document dated 1492. This record provides evidence of the existence of the surname during the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name Taveras is documented in various historical records from Spain and its colonies. For instance, a man named Diego Taveras was listed as a participant in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.
The surname Taveras has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was Pedro Taveras (1476-1545), a Spanish Catholic cardinal and statesman who served as the Grand Inquisitor of Spain and later as the Bishop of Málaga.
Another notable bearer of the name was Juan Bautista Taveras (1588-1644), a Spanish playwright and poet from Seville who was known for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His play "La Villana de Vallecas" was particularly well-received during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a man named Francisco Taveras (1712-1782) gained recognition as a prominent architect in Spain. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Andrés in Madrid.
A more recent individual with the surname Taveras was Ramón Taveras (1887-1962), a Dominican lawyer and politician who served as the President of the Dominican Republic from 1958 to 1961.
While the surname Taveras has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the 15th century and the region of Seville, where it was closely associated with the tavern or inn industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Taveras
Among Census respondents with the surname Taveras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Taveras 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 Taveras surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.7% · 10,505
- White3.1% · 344
- Black or African American0.7% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 31
- Two or more races0.1% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Taveras
Taveras 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
#3,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,580
+3,021 bearers (+46.1%)
Per 100,000 3.25
Rank movement Up 1,216 places
2020
#3,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,977
+1,397 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 3.67
Rank movement Up 500 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,922 | 6,559 | 2.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,706 | 9,580 | 3.25 | +3,021 bearers (+46.1%) | Up 1,216 places |
| 2020 | #3,206 | 10,977 | 3.67 | +1,397 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 500 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 Taveras 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 | #3,706 | #3,206 | 13.5% |
| Count | 9,580 | 10,977 | 14.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.25 | 3.67 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Taveras bearers went from 9,580 to 10,977 (+14.6% change). The surname moved up 500 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,706 to #3,206.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Taveras
FAQ
Taveras surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Taveras?
Name Census estimates that about 12,588 living Americans carry the surname Taveras. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,229 residents.
How common is Taveras?
Taveras ranks #3,206 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.67 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 10,977 people with the surname Taveras. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,588), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.67 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 Taveras.
Has Taveras become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Taveras went from 9,580 recorded bearers to 10,977. That is an increase of 1,397 (+14.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,706 to #3,206.
What does the Census say about the background of Taveras?
Among Census respondents with the surname Taveras, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Taveras in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (10,505 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Taveras appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.7%), White (3.1%), Black (0.7%). 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 Taveras (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 Taveras mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tavera, likely referring to someone from that locality. 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 Taveras (3.67 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 Americans have the surname Taveras?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.