Find out how popular the last name Alama is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alama.

Alama, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alama in America

Alama is the 75799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alama surname appeared 254 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alama to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alama

The surname ALAMA has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "al-ama," meaning "the people." This suggests that the name may have been given to those who were part of a particular group or community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ALAMA can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. This document, dated around 1076, mentions an individual named Domingo Alama.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This book includes references to several place names that may be related to the surname ALAMA, such as Alameda and Alamillo.

During the 15th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Juan de Alama (1435-1501), a Spanish scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Guadix and later as the Bishop of Coria. He was known for his works on theology and his efforts to promote education in Spain.

Another notable individual with the surname ALAMA was Pedro de Alama (1543-1617), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Philippines. He served as the Governor of the Mariana Islands from 1595 to 1596.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, where Juan Alama (1620-1684) was tried for heresy. Despite being found guilty, he managed to avoid severe punishment due to his influential connections.

The 18th century saw the birth of José Alama y Martín (1748-1812), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was commissioned to create several altarpieces for churches in Madrid and its surrounding areas.

As the surname ALAMA spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Alamo, Alameda, and Alamillo. These variations often reflected the influence of local dialects and pronunciation preferences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alama

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alama.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alama was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alama has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alama was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alama, please contact us.

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