CHAVEZ Surname Meaning & Origin: An ancient Portuguese surname, Chavez literally means keys, from the Portuguese chaves. Chavez is the 22nd most common Hispanic surname.Surname Origin: Spanish, Portuguese. Alternate Surname Spellings: CHAVEZ. Famous People with the Surname CHAVEZ: 1  Cesar Chavez-American civil rights leader.earch this popular genealogy forum for the Chavez surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Chavez query. FamilySearch-CHAVEZ Genealogy. Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Chavez surname and its variations.