Nava
A surname with multiple possible origins, most likely from a place name or from a British/Cornish word meaning an office or servant-like role.
The #874 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,783 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Nava has more than one plausible origin. In Cornish scholarship, it is linked to an older form Knava or Nava, which some writers connected with a British word for a servant, steward, messenger, or deputy. Separately, in Spanish and other Romance usage, Nava is a common place-name word meaning a level plain, meadow, or hollow, so the surname may also be locational in some families.
History
The Cornish explanation appears in 19th-century surname works, but it is presented cautiously and depends on older interpretations of local forms. In the Spanish-speaking world, Nava is also a widespread toponymic surname, often tied to towns and places called Nava or Las Navas. Because these traditions are distinct, modern bearers may have different origins depending on family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Spanish word nava can refer to a flat stretch of land or a valley floor, which is why it shows up in many place names.
From the historical record
“deer). NAVA. See Knava. N AWKE RVIS. See Nankervis. NEAINE. From an-hedn, the bay, port, or haven. NEPEAN, From nan-pean, for nan^veauy the little valley. NEWLING. See Newltn. NEWLYN. From the parish of Newlyn in Pydar hun-”
— Patronymica Cornu-Britannica; or, the etymology of Cornish surnames