Alva (surname)

For other uses of "Alva", see Alva (disambiguation).

Alva is a surname found primarily among Tulu-speaking communities of coastal Karnataka, India. The name is historically associated with Jain chieftains, feudal families, and landholding elites in the Tulunadu region, ^{[1] [2]} though over time it has also been adopted by families of other faith. ^{[3] [4]}

The surname Alva is believed to derive from the Old Tulu term Alva meaning "chief" or "landlord." ^[5] In medieval inscriptions, Alva often appears as an honorific title for Jain administrators and feudatories under Jain rulers. ^[6]

The surname Alva is also found in Western countries, where it is of Portuguese origin, derived from a place of habitation. ^[7]

Historical associations

Medieval inscriptions from the coastal Karnataka region, particularly those related to the Alupa dynasty, record several Alva families as Jain patrons. ^[8] These families were notable for their support of Jain temples, basadis, and manuscript preservation. One prominent branch, the Moodbidri Alvas, were hereditary patrons of the Saavira Kambada Basadi (Thousand Pillar Basadi), a major Jain pilgrimage site. ^[9]

The Alvas are believed to have been originally Jains. From the 16th to 18th centuries, many Alva families converted from Jainism to Hinduism while retaining the Alva surname. ^{[10] [11]} Today, the surname Alva is most common in the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, with diaspora communities in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and overseas. While a significant number of Alvas remain Jains, others adopted Hinduism or Christianity. ^{[12] [13]}

Notable people

The following is a list of notable people with last name Alva.

• M Mohan Alva (educationist, Chairman of Alva's Education Foundation)
• A. Shanker Alva (1906–1977), Indian politician and lawyer
• Bartolomé de Alva (born 1590s), Novohispanic mestizo secular priest and Nahuatl translator
• Jeevaraj Alva (died 2001), Indian politician
• Joachim Alva (1907–1979), Indian freedom fighter, journalist and politician
• K. Nagappa Alva (born 1908, date of death unknown), Indian politician
• Leonel Mário d'Alva, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (1974–1975)
• Luigi Alva (1927–2025), Peruvian opera singer
• Margaret Alva (born 1942), first woman governor of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, daughter-in-law of Joachim Alva
• Piero Alva (born 1979), Peruvian footballer
• Ramón Alva de la Canal (1892–1985), Mexican painter and illustrator
• Tony Alva (born 1957), American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician
• Violet Alva (1908–1969), Indian politician, wife of Joachim Alva
• Walter Alva (born 1951), Peruvian archaeologist

References

1. Nagarajaiah 1999, p. 105-110
2. Paul Dundas 2002, p. 91
3. Nagarajaiah 1999, p. 112
4. Paul Dundas 2002, p. 90-95
5. Jaini 1979, p. 214
6. Paul Dundas 2002, p. 105-110
7. "Alva Family History". Oxford University Press. Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press.
8. Nagarajaiah 2003, p. 57
9. Jaini 1979, p. 215
10. Paul Dundas 2002, p. 101-106
11. Nagarajaiah 1999, p. 113
12. Jaini 1979, p. 220-225
13. Paul Dundas 2002, p. 115

Bibliography

• ⁠Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1979). The Jaina Path of Purification. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-03675-8.
• ⁠Nagarajaiah, Hampa (1999). Jainism in Karnataka: History, Art and Literature. Bangalore: Jaganmohan Palace Publications.
• ⁠Nagarajaiah, Hampa (2003). A History of Jainism in Karnataka. Bangalore: Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
• Dundas, Paul (2002). The Jains (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN   978-0-415-26605-5. OCLC   248345708 . Retrieved 14 August 2025.