2000
#18,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Salva
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "salvare," meaning to save or rescue.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,754 Americans carry the last name Salva. That puts it at #17,995 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 195,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salva 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
1.8K
1 in 195,413
Census rank
#17,995
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,530 bearers of the surname Salva in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17995th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salva, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salva
The surname Salva has its roots in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "salva," meaning "to save" or "to preserve." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a protector or a savior in some capacity.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Salva comes from the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents dating back to the 12th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a certain "Petrus de Salva" from the town of Benevento in southern Italy.
The name Salva can also be traced back to various place names in Italy, such as the town of Salva in the province of Salerno. It's possible that the surname originated from individuals who hailed from this region or other similar locations.
Historically, the Salva name has been associated with several notable figures throughout the centuries. In the 14th century, there was a Dominican friar named Tommaso di Salva (1310-1380) who was known for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the surname Salva was Giovanni Battista Salva (1628-1688), an Italian painter and architect who was active during the Baroque period. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, Niccolò Salva (1701-1765) was a renowned Italian composer and violinist. He served as the court composer for the Duke of Brunswick and produced numerous operas and instrumental works during his lifetime.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Salva name gained recognition through the efforts of Antonino Salva (1869-1944), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as the Mayor of Palermo from 1920 to 1924.
Another notable figure was Giovanni Salva (1872-1937), an Italian sculptor and ceramist who was known for his works in the Art Nouveau and Liberty styles. His sculptures and ceramic pieces can be found in various museums and collections worldwide.
While the Salva surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and origins of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salva
Among Census respondents with the surname Salva, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Salva 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 Salva surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White43.7% · 668
- Hispanic or Latino32.0% · 490
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.0% · 290
- Two or more races4.1% · 62
- Black or African American1.3% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salva
Salva 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
#18,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,474
+145 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 315 places
2020
#17,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,530
+56 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,975 | 1,329 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,660 | 1,474 | 0.50 | +145 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 315 places |
| 2020 | #17,995 | 1,530 | 0.51 | +56 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 665 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 Salva 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 | #18,660 | #17,995 | 3.6% |
| Count | 1,474 | 1,530 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.51 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salva bearers went from 1,474 to 1,530 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 665 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,660 to #17,995.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Salva
FAQ
Salva surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salva?
Name Census estimates that about 1,754 living Americans carry the surname Salva. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 195,413 residents.
How common is Salva?
Salva ranks #17,995 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,530 people with the surname Salva. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Salva.
Has Salva become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salva went from 1,474 recorded bearers to 1,530. That is an increase of 56 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,660 to #17,995.
What does the Census say about the background of Salva?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salva, the largest self-reported group is White at 43.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Salva in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.7% (668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salva appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (43.7%), Hispanic (32.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%). 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 Salva (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 Salva mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "salvare," meaning to save or rescue. 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 Salva (0.51 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 Salva?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Salva, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.