Dávila
A Spanish surname originally tied to place names beginning with Ávila or de Ávila, meaning “from Ávila.”
The #774 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,956 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dávila is generally understood as a Spanish locational surname formed from de Ávila, meaning “from Ávila.” Ávila is the well-known city and province in central Spain, so the surname originally identified someone who came from that place. The written form Dávila reflects the older contraction of de + Ávila in Spanish usage.
History
The name is long established in Spain and spread widely through Spanish-speaking regions, especially in the Americas. It appears in noble and historical lineages, and the accented spelling Dávila is common in Spanish, though the accent is often dropped in English-language records. The historical excerpts provided also mention a famous bearer, Caterino or Catherin Davila, the historian.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the surname comes from a place-name, it is a classic example of a Spanish “from X” surname that later became fixed as a family name.
From the historical record
“diminutives. Old German Dafila, Davila, 7th cent. — English Davall, Deffell — French Daval, Deville, Tavel. Eng. Taplin, Devlin — French Dablin. Old Germ. Tabuke, 11th cent. Eng. Davock, Davidge, Devick — Fr. Davach, Devicque. PHONETIC ending.”
— The Teutonic Name-System applied to the family names of France, England and Germany