Alva
A surname that often points to a place-name or, in some families, to a historical link with the Duke of Alva.
The #5,750 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,236 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Alva is most often treated as a locational or association name. In Scottish usage, it is linked to the place-name Alva in Clackmannanshire, while in some continental and English contexts the name may also reflect association with the Duke of Alva, the Spanish commander whose name became familiar in Protestant and Huguenot history. The place-name itself is commonly connected with a pre-modern local name of uncertain but likely Gaelic or earlier origin.
History
The excerpts show Alva appearing chiefly as a territorial designation in Scottish families, especially the Erskines of Alva and later allied lines. They also show the name entering English memory through references to the Duke of Alva, whose persecutions helped drive Flemish and Huguenot refugees into England. As a surname, it is uncommon and may be found both as a true family name and as part of a noble territorial style.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same name that appears in Scottish peerage styles also echoes one of the most notorious figures of the Dutch Revolt, which is why it turns up in refugee-history narratives as well as genealogy books.
From the historical record
“Huguenots, settled in Holland, from whence they were driven by the persecution of the Duke of Alva, and settled here temp. Eliza- beth. The orthography was altered to its present form in the XYII. cent. The existing family are descended from this branch.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom