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

Vives, 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 Vives surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vives in America

Vives is the 25136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vives surname appeared 987 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 Vives.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vives 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 Vives

The surname Vives originated in Spain, derived from the Spanish word "vivo" meaning "lively" or "vivacious." It is believed to have first appeared in the 14th century in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia.

Vives is thought to have been an occupational surname initially given to individuals who exhibited a lively or energetic demeanor. The name may also have been used to describe those involved in trades or professions that required a high level of energy and liveliness.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vives can be found in the Catalan Atlas, a medieval portolan atlas created by the Majorcan cartographic school in 1375, where the name appears in reference to a merchant from Valencia.

In the 15th century, Juan Luis Vives (1492-1540), a renowned Spanish scholar, philosopher, and humanist, brought significant recognition to the surname. He was a prominent figure during the Renaissance and is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time.

Another notable figure with the surname Vives was Amadeo Vives (1871-1949), a Spanish composer and musician known for his zarzuelas (Spanish operettas) and other works that incorporated traditional Spanish folk music elements.

In the 16th century, records show that the Vives family had established themselves in the town of Xàtiva, Valencia, where they were involved in the silk trade and held influential positions within the local community.

The surname Vives can also be traced back to the village of Vives, located in the province of Castellón, Valencia, which may have contributed to the surname's origin and spread.

Other notable individuals with the surname Vives include:

1. Antonio Vives y Escudero (1859-1925), a Spanish numismatist and archaeologist.
2. Alejandro Vives (1892-1932), a Cuban politician and diplomat.
3. José Vives-Atsara (1919-2003), a Spanish painter and sculptor.
4. María Vives Caballero (1895-1975), a Spanish writer and feminist activist.
5. Jaume Vives Vich (1903-1987), a Majorcan painter and ceramist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vives

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

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

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

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