NameCensus.

UK surname

Alves

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the personal name "Álvaro," likely meaning "guardian" or "defender."

In the 1881 census there were 159 people recorded with the Alves surname, ranking it #14,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,623, ranked #3,834, up from #14,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, Edinburgh and Temple. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Brent and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alves is 1,623 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 920.8%.

1881 census count

159

Ranked #14,935

Modern count

1,623

2016, ranked #3,834

Peak year

2016

1,623 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alves had 159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,623 in 2016, ranked #3,834.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 216 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Alves surname distribution map

The map shows where the Alves surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Alves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alves over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 108 #16,308
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 159 #14,935
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 216 #14,426
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 551 #8,644
1998 modern 599 #8,407
1999 modern 622 #8,240
2000 modern 648 #7,951
2001 modern 640 #7,883
2002 modern 723 #7,331
2003 modern 763 #6,916
2004 modern 856 #6,315
2005 modern 923 #5,905
2006 modern 1,011 #5,515
2007 modern 1,099 #5,192
2008 modern 1,189 #4,873
2009 modern 1,279 #4,679
2010 modern 1,391 #4,424
2011 modern 1,333 #4,537
2012 modern 1,422 #4,248
2013 modern 1,479 #4,197
2014 modern 1,537 #4,092
2015 modern 1,563 #3,978
2016 modern 1,623 #3,834

Geography

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Where Alves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street, Edinburgh, Temple, Aberdeen and Old Machar and Montrose. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Brent, Breckland and Peterborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Glastonbury St Benedict and St John, Street Somerset
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Temple Edinburgh
4 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
5 Montrose Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Brent 015 Brent
3 Brent 031 Brent
4 Breckland 016 Breckland
5 Peterborough 014 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alves

These lists show first names that appear often with the Alves surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alves

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Alves, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Alves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Alves household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Alves is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Alves is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Alves falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Alves is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Alves, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Alves

The surname Alves is of Portuguese origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the ancient given name "Alvo," which means "white" or "fair" in Portuguese. The name was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with light-colored hair or a fair complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alves can be found in the "Inquirições de D. Afonso III" (Inquiries of King Afonso III), a medieval document from the 13th century that compiled information about land ownership and populations in various regions of Portugal. In this document, the name appears as "Alvus" and "Alviz," which were early variations of the modern spelling.

The Alves surname is particularly prominent in the regions of Minho and Trás-os-Montes in northern Portugal, where it is believed to have originated. It is also found in other areas of Portugal, as well as in former Portuguese colonies such as Brazil and Angola.

One notable historical figure with the surname Alves was Gonçalo Alves, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1498. Another prominent individual was Tomé Alves, a 16th-century Portuguese merchant and writer who authored one of the earliest accounts of life in Brazil.

In the 17th century, the name Alves appeared in various manuscripts and records, including the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a compilation of Portuguese noble families. One such individual mentioned is João Alves, a nobleman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 18th century, José Alves Macamboa was a notable figure from Angola who played a significant role in the resistance against Portuguese colonialism. Another prominent individual was Manuel Alves Vilhegas, a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator who served in Brazil and Angola in the late 18th century.

Moving into the 19th century, Joaquim Alves de Sousa was a Brazilian writer and journalist who contributed to the country's literary and cultural development. Additionally, José Alves Correia da Silva was a Portuguese politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alves surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 24 Alves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.55x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 24 11.55x
Aberdeenshire 21 14.62x
Somerset 19 7.61x
Angus 15 10.44x
Kincardineshire 11 58.23x
Middlesex 10 0.64x
Morayshire 9 37.34x
Yorkshire 9 0.59x
Suffolk 7 3.71x
Banffshire 6 18.65x
Essex 5 1.63x
Stirlingshire 5 8.74x
Kent 3 0.57x
Surrey 3 0.40x
Channel Islands 2 4.35x
Hampshire 2 0.63x
Norfolk 2 0.84x
Peeblesshire 2 27.40x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.40x
Inverness-shire 1 2.16x
Perthshire 1 1.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 19 Alves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.71x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 19 70.71x
Montrose 14 160.73x
Glastonbury 12 588.24x
Ripon 8 224.09x
Durris 7 1296.30x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 8.37x
Ratcliffe London 7 81.68x
South Leith 7 29.94x
Forglen 6 1538.46x
Lavenham 6 606.06x
Temple 6 722.89x
Wedmore 6 370.37x
New Spynie 5 574.71x
Stirling 5 69.35x
West Ham 5 7.40x
Forres 4 158.10x
Heriot 3 1304.35x
Plumstead 3 17.01x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 6.67x
Eaton St Andrew 2 303.03x
Fetteresso 2 67.57x
Maryculter 2 350.88x
Peebles 2 92.59x
Portsea 2 3.21x
St Brelade 2 169.49x
Battersea 1 1.75x
Fala Soutra 1 588.24x
Fornham All Sts 1 434.78x
Hampstead London 1 4.14x
Horton 1 217.39x
Inverness 1 8.58x
Kensington London 1 1.16x
Kirkintilloch 1 17.67x
Liff Benvie 1 4.59x
Logie 1 40.00x
Putney 1 14.14x
Sheffield 1 2.04x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.66x
Streatham 1 8.69x
Wells St Cuthbert In 1 263.16x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Alves surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Alice 3
Sarah 3
Anna 2
Bathia 2
Emma 2
Janet 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Bessie 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Jessia 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Leila 1
Magdalen 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Alves surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Alves households.

FAQ

Alves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 159 people were recorded with the Alves surname. That placed it at #14,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,623 in 2016. That gives Alves a modern rank of #3,834.

What does the Alves surname mean?

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the personal name "Álvaro," likely meaning "guardian" or "defender."

What does the Alves map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Alves bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.