Alves
Alves is a surname that appears to originate both from Portugal and Scotland. It is debatable whether the surname appeared first in one country or the other, since it is more prevalent in Portugal, but registered as far back as the 13th century in the church records at Alves, Moray, Northern Scotland. If from Portugal, it will have originated from the Germanic patronym son of Álvaro.
Meaning & Origin of Alves
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Alves is a surname that appears to originate both from Portugal and Scotland. It is debatable whether the surname appeared first in one country or the other, since it is more prevalent in Portugal, but registered as far back as the 13th century in the church records at Alves, Moray, Northern Scotland. If from Portugal, it will have originated from the Germanic patronym son of Álvaro.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Alves
Alves first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1920, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 5 Alvess were born — ranking #4,286 that year. As of 2026, Alves ranks #4,286 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Alvess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Alves
Phonetically similar names — useful when Alves is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Alves
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About the name Alves
Alves is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Alves's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #4,286. Use the chart and map above to compare Alves's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.