Alvaro is of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the Germanic elements 'Adal' meaning 'noble' and 'Wulf' meaning 'wolf'. It gained popularity during the Middle Ages through the Visigothic Kingdom in Spain. In Italy, it is associated with Alvaro of Gonzaoga, a 12th-century Cistercian monk who became the bishop of Tortosa.
Alvaro saw five newborns bearing its name in the year 2002 alone, with no other recorded occurrences in subsequent years.