Show ContentsChaves History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Chaves family

The surname Chaves was first found in Aquila, capital of Abruzzi Province of Italy. A city on the valley of the Aterno. The citadel (1535) of the Spanish viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo. The church of St Bewrardin is notable. The fountain outside the town has 99 jets. It was founded Conrad, son of Emperor Frederick II in 1250. The Spaniards captured it in 1503. Sacked by the French in 1799. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry. Originally of Castille in Spain, the Italian was moved of army XVI of Carlo V.

Early History of the Chaves family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaves research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1675 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Chaves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaves Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cheaves, Chaves, Cioffani, Chiapponi, Chiava and many more.

Early Notables of the Chaves family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • the Chaves of Spain

Chaves Ranking

In the United States, the name Chaves is the 4,582nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1


United States Chaves migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chaves Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Andrés de Chaves, who arrived in America in 1512
  • Diego de Chaves, who arrived in America in 1526
  • Juan Chaves, who served with Pedro de Alvarado and who founded the settlement of Gracias a Dios in 1533
  • Gómez de Chaves, who arrived in Cartagena in 1534
  • Juan de Chaves, who arrived in Spanish Main in 1534
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Chaves Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Andres De Chaves, who landed in America in 1812 2
  • Hemando De Chaves, who arrived in America in 1815 2
  • Nicolasa DeJesus Chaves, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1816 2
  • Gonzalo De Chaves, who landed in America in 1817 2
  • Juan De Chaves, who landed in America in 1817 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Chaves Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ana Chaves, who arrived in Texas in 1923

West Indies Chaves migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3
Chaves Settlers in West Indies in the 16th Century
  • Bernardo de Chaves, who arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1534
Chaves Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century
  • Bernardo De Chaves, who landed in Dominican Republic in 1834 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Chaves (post 1700) +

  • Richard John Chaves (b. 1951), American actor
  • José Francisco Chaves (1833-1904), nineteenth century American politician, lawyer and farmer
  • Zachary A. Chaves, American politician, Candidate for Connecticut State Senate 36th District, 2008 4
  • Jose Francisco Chaves (1833-1904), American Republican politician, Delegate to U.S. Congress from New Mexico Territory, 1865-67, 1869-71; Member New Mexico territorial council, 1875 4
  • E. V. Chaves, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico Territory, 1892, 1904 4
  • Amado Chaves Jr., American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in La Guaira, 1924 4
  • Germán Enrique Chaves Torres (1995-2023), Colombian professional cyclist who last raced for Team Sistecredito–GW
  • Juca Chaves (1938-2023), born Jurandyr Czaczkes, a Brazilian comedian, singer and writer well known for his irreverence
  • Avelino Chaves Couto (1931-2021), Spanish professional footballer who played as a forward
  • Victorico L. "Concoy" Chaves (1932-2016), Filipino sportsman and politician, Member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1987-1998), President of the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association (1986-1995)
  • ... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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