Explore the Family Name Salva

The meaning of Salva

1. Catalan (Salvà): from the personal name Salvà, Catalan form of Latin Silvanus (a derivative of silva ‘wood’). 2. Italian (northern): from a short form of the personal name Salvato. 3. Italian (Sicily): from the personal name Salva, a cognate of 1 above. 4. French (southern): cognate of the Catalan name Salvà (see 1 above). 5. French (southern): ultimately from Latin salva, an imperative of salvo ‘to save’, either as a personal name cognate with 2 above or as a nickname of a cantor, from the antiphon Salva nos, Domine ‘O Lord, save us’. 6. Slovak: nickname of Latin origin (see 5 above). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Aida, Marina, Alfonso, Blanca, Carlos, Fernando, Gustavo, Jaime, Jose, Juan, Juana, Julio.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Salva has seen a rise in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, the surname was ranked 18,975th in popularity in the United States, but it climbed to the 18,660th rank by 2010, marking an increase of around 1.66%. Additionally, the count (number of people with this surname) also increased from 1,329 in 2000 to 1,474 in 2010, registering an increase of 10.91%. The proportion of the surname Salva per 100,000 population also rose slightly from 0.49 to 0.5 during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#18,975#18,6601.66%
Count1,3291,47410.91%
Proportion per 100k0.490.52.04%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salva

On the matter of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some intriguing shifts for those bearing the surname Salva. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant 36.55% increase in individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 12.42% to 16.96%. The number of individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races also saw a minor increase of 2.42%, from 3.31% to 3.39%. However, individuals identifying as White saw a decrease of 14.14%, dropping from 58.47% to 50.20%. The Hispanic representation increased from 24.68% to 27.88%, indicating a growth of 12.97%. There were no changes noted for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White58.47%50.2%-14.14%
Hispanic24.68%27.88%12.97%
Asian/Pacific Islander12.42%16.96%36.55%
Two or More Races3.31%3.39%2.42%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%