Talavera
A Spanish surname taken from the place name Talavera, originally meaning someone from that town.
The #4,559 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 39,700 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Talavera is a habitational surname, formed from the name of the Spanish town of Talavera (best known today as Talavera de la Reina). The place-name is usually explained as going back to a Latin or pre-Latin local name, but its deeper origin is not certain. As a surname, it simply identified a person who came from that place.
History
The name is common in Spanish-speaking contexts and also appears in diaspora communities, including the United States. Because the town of Talavera was historically important, the surname has long been readily recognized as a geographic name rather than an occupational or descriptive one. The sources provided mention Talavera only incidentally, not as a direct surname entry, so the origin here is based on standard onomastic pattern rather than a specific quoted dictionary explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Talavera is also famous worldwide for its tin-glazed pottery tradition, which helped keep the place name widely recognizable.
From the historical record
“que se hace la cal Talavera Loza fabricada en la villa de este nombre. Talma. Esclavina que usan las señoras. Talon. Parte posterior del pié, que sube desde el calca- ñar. Parte del calzado que cubre el talon del pié. Gala.”
— Diccionario de los apellidos