2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alabran
Possibly derived from a place name or a nickname meaning "the gluttonous one" in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Alabran. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alabran surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Alabran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alabran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alabran
The surname Alabran has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, tracing back to the medieval period in what is now Spain and Portugal. It is believed to derive from the Arabic word "al-abran," which translates to "the foreigner" or "the outsider." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals or families of Arabic descent who settled in the region during the Moorish occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in a medieval census record from the city of Seville, dated around the 13th century. The document lists a family headed by a man named Ibrahim al-Abran, indicating that the name was already in use among the Moorish population at that time.
As the Reconquista progressed and the Christian kingdoms gradually retook control of the Iberian Peninsula, many Arabic-derived names and surnames underwent modifications to adapt to the Spanish and Portuguese languages. This likely led to the eventual spelling variation of "Alabran."
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Diego Alabran, a merchant and explorer from the city of Córdoba. He is believed to have participated in several voyages to the Canary Islands and the western coast of Africa, contributing to the expansion of trade routes during the Age of Discovery.
Another historical reference can be found in the archives of the Inquisition, where a woman named Isabel Alabran was recorded as having been tried and convicted for practicing Judaism in secret, a crime known as "crypto-Judaism," in the late 16th century.
Moving forward in time, Juan Alabran, born in 1712 in Seville, was a celebrated artist known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures adorning several churches and cathedrals throughout Andalusia.
In the 19th century, Mariana Alabran, a native of Lisbon, gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established one of the first schools for girls in Portugal and campaigned for equal access to education.
Lastly, Miguel Alabran, born in 1892 in Madrid, was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament during the early 20th century, known for his staunch defense of civil liberties and democratic principles.
While the surname Alabran may have originated as a descriptor for outsiders or foreigners, it has since become deeply ingrained in the cultural tapestry of the Iberian Peninsula, with various historical figures bearing the name leaving their mark across different fields and endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alabran
Among Census respondents with the surname Alabran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Alabran bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Alabran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alabran
Alabran appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,496 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,496 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Alabran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alabran bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Alabran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alabran?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Alabran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Alabran?
Alabran ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Alabran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Alabran.
Has Alabran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alabran went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Alabran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alabran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alabran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alabran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (3.5%), Hispanic (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Alabran (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Alabran mean?
Possibly derived from a place name or a nickname meaning "the gluttonous one" in Italian. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Alabran (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Alabran?
See how many people are called Alabran on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.