Explore the Family Name Alava

The meaning of Alava

Spanish (Álava): habitational name from the province of Araba/Álava in the Basque Country.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Alava in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Alava has seen a rise in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 43,546th most popular, but moved up to 34,967th position by 2010, a change of 19.7%. The count of people with this surname also increased during this decade, from 467 in 2000 to 645 in 2010, meaning there was an overall growth of 38.12%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Alava per 100,000 people also saw an uptick of 29.41%, moving from 0.17 to 0.22.

20002010Change
Rank#43,546#34,96719.7%
Count46764538.12%
Proportion per 100k0.170.2229.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Alava

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the surname Alava. A significant proportion of individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic, with percentages increasing slightly from 76.87% in 2000 to 79.22% in 2010. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation also grew during this period by 26.65%, from 10.28% to 13.02%. Conversely, the percentage of white individuals with this surname declined by 41.73%, from 9.85% to 5.74%, and the Black population also saw a decrease from 1.71% to 1.09%. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races decreased by 27.34%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained unchanged.

20002010Change
Hispanic76.87%79.22%3.06%
Asian/Pacific Islander10.28%13.02%26.65%
White9.85%5.74%-41.73%
Black1.71%1.09%-36.26%
Two or More Races1.28%0.93%-27.34%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%