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Alves Family History

Alves Surname Meaning

Portuguese and Galician: patronymic from the personal name Álvaro (see Alvaro).

Scottish: habitational name from Alves Morayshire which is pronounced /a:vz/.

The placename means ‘plain by a cliff’ from Scottish Gaelic all ail ‘cliff’ + magh ‘plain level ground’ (usually denoting ground suitable for cultivation).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Alves family from?

You can see how Alves families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alves family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Alves families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 35 Alves families living in Somerset. This was about 32% of all the recorded Alves's in United Kingdom. Somerset had the highest population of Alves families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alves surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Alves ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Market Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Alves. 100% of Alves men worked as a Market Gardener and 94% of Alves women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Alves | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Market Gardener
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    94%
  • Shopkeeper Confectionery
    7%

What Alves family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Alves. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alves census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Alves

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Alves. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Alves immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Alves. For the veterans among your Alves ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Alves military records

You've only scratched the surface of Alves family history

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What is the average Alves lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Alves life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Alves in 1953 was 70, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alves

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Alves ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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