Avila History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Noble surnames, such as Avila, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Avila, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. Many Spanish local names reflect Arabic words or place-names because Spain was conquered by the Muslim Moors from the 8th to 12th centuries. The Avila family originally derived its name from the name of the province Avila.
Early Origins of the Avila family
The surname Avila was first found in Castile, an important Christian kingdom of medieval Spain. One of the earliest records of the name dates from the twelfth century: Blasco Gimeno de Avila was a nobleman who became Governor of Avila during the reign of King Alfonso VI. From Castile the family branched to other regions of the Christian north, including Leon.
Early History of the Avila family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Avila research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1500, 1538, 1547, 1550, 1569, 1570, 1595, 1658, 1735, 1799, 1801 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Avila History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Avila Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Avila, de Avila, Avilés, Aviles, Dávila, Davila, Dávilla and many more.
Early Notables of the Avila family
Prominent among members of the family
- Luiz de Avilla y Zuniga (1490-1550), the Spanish soldier and historian. He was a diplomat in the Service of Charles V and he wrote a history of Charles' German Wars 1547. Also of note was Juan de Avil...
- Gil Gonzalez de Avila (1570-1658), was a Spanish biographer and antiquary, educated at the residence of Cardinal Deza. Hernando de Avila (c. 1538-1595), was a Spanish artist, court painter to King Phi...
Avila Ranking
In the United States, the name Avila is the 609th most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Avila is ranked the 8,833rd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2
Avila migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Avila Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
- Cristóbal de Avila, to America in 1513
- Toribio de Avila, to America in 1514
- Francisco de Avila, to New Spain in 1515
- Miguel de Avila, to America in 1526
- Alonso de Avila, to Cartagena in 1534
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Avila (post 1700) +
- Joaquin Avila (d. 2018), Mexican American voting rights attorney and activist from Compton, California
- Roberto "Bobby" Francisco Ávila González (1924-2004), American Major League Baseball second baseman
- Eric Humberto Avila (b. 1987), American soccer player
- Alexander Thomas Avila (b. 1987), American Major League Baseball catcher
- Sabas Avila, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2004 3
- Rick Avila, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of San Bernardino, California, 2013 3
- John Avila, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Pomona, California, 2000 3
- Arthur D. Avila, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 3
- Anatalia R. Avila, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2000 3
- Alberto Villalta Ávila (b. 1947), Salvadorian retired football player
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +