2000
#4,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Uncommon Last name
Narvaez
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Narváez in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,662 Americans carry the last name Narvaez. That puts it at #3,192 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Narvaez 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 27,070
Census rank
#3,192
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,042 bearers of the surname Narvaez in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3192nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Narvaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Narvaez
The surname Narvaez originated in Spain, likely emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish place name "Narváez," which refers to a town or region in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura. The place name itself may have its roots in the Basque language, potentially connected to words related to "valley" or "mountain pass."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Narvaez can be found in the 16th century with Pánfilo de Narváez, a Spanish conquistador and explorer born around 1470. He is known for his unsuccessful attempts to conquer and colonize Florida, as well as his involvement in the conquest of Cuba. His expedition to Florida in 1528 ended in disaster, and he is believed to have died sometime in 1528 or 1529.
Another notable figure with the surname Narvaez was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, born in 1519. He was a Spanish sailor, explorer, and soldier who founded the city of St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565, establishing the first permanent European settlement in what would become the continental United States.
In the 17th century, Juan Narvaez Prado, a Spanish painter and engraver, was active in Madrid and Seville. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, and his work can be found in various churches and museums in Spain.
The 19th century saw the birth of Ramón María Narváez y Campos, a Spanish military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1844 to 1846. He played a significant role in the Carlist Wars and was influential in Spanish politics during the reign of Queen Isabella II.
In more recent times, José María Narváez Teruel, born in 1940, is a Spanish painter and sculptor known for his abstract and geometric works. His art has been exhibited in galleries around the world, and he is considered one of the most important contemporary artists from Spain.
While the surname Narvaez has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin American countries with Spanish colonial influences, such as Mexico and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narvaez
Among Census respondents with the surname Narvaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Narvaez 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 Narvaez surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.1% · 9,954
- White5.2% · 572
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 386
- Black or African American0.5% · 59
- Two or more races0.4% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Narvaez
Narvaez 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
#3,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,579
+2,714 bearers (+34.5%)
Per 100,000 3.59
Rank movement Up 804 places
2020
#3,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,042
+463 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Up 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,177 | 7,865 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,373 | 10,579 | 3.59 | +2,714 bearers (+34.5%) | Up 804 places |
| 2020 | #3,192 | 11,042 | 3.69 | +463 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 181 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 Narvaez 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 | #3,373 | #3,192 | 5.4% |
| Count | 10,579 | 11,042 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.59 | 3.69 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Narvaez bearers went from 10,579 to 11,042 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,373 to #3,192.
FAQ
Narvaez surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Narvaez?
Name Census estimates that about 12,662 living Americans carry the surname Narvaez. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,070 residents.
How common is Narvaez?
Narvaez ranks #3,192 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.69 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 11,042 people with the surname Narvaez. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,662), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.69 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 Narvaez.
Has Narvaez become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Narvaez went from 10,579 recorded bearers to 11,042. That is an increase of 463 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,373 to #3,192.
What does the Census say about the background of Narvaez?
Among Census respondents with the surname Narvaez, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Narvaez in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (9,954 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Narvaez appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.1%), White (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Narvaez (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 Narvaez mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Narváez in Spain. 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 Narvaez (3.69 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 have the last name Narvaez?
Want to know how common the surname Narvaez is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.