2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alanes
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Alán, Navarre, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Alanes. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alanes 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Alanes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.9%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alanes
The surname ALANES is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "alan," which means "guard" or "watchman." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who performed these roles, perhaps as guards or sentries at castles or fortified settlements.
One of the earliest known references to the name ALANES can be found in the Cartulario de Eslonza, a medieval document from the monastery of Eslonza in the province of León, Spain. This cartulary, dating back to the 11th century, mentions individuals with the surname ALANES who were involved in land transactions and legal disputes.
In the 12th century, the name ALANES appeared in the Fuero de Cuenca, a legal code governing the city of Cuenca in central Spain. This document lists several individuals with the surname, indicating that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
During the 13th century, the name ALANES was recorded in the Libro de la Montería, a hunting treatise compiled under the patronage of King Alfonso XI of Castile. This work mentions a place called "Alanis" in the province of Seville, which may have been the origin of the surname ALANES for some families.
One notable individual with the surname ALANES was Pedro Alanes, a 14th-century Spanish poet and writer. He is best known for his work "El Libro de las Batallas," a poetic account of the military campaigns of King Alfonso XI.
Another noteworthy figure was Juan Alanes, a 15th-century Spanish theologian and philosopher. He was a professor at the University of Salamanca and authored several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 16th century, the name ALANES was recorded in the Catastro de Ensenada, a census-like document commissioned by King Ferdinand VI of Spain. This document mentions several individuals with the surname ALANES, including landowners and farmers from various regions of Spain.
During the 17th century, the surname ALANES was found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. One individual, Francisco Alanes, was accused of heresy and tried by the Inquisition in Seville in the year 1623.
In the 18th century, the name ALANES appeared in the records of the Spanish military. José Alanes was a Spanish soldier who fought in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), and his name is documented in military records from that period.
As the centuries passed, the surname ALANES spread to various regions of Spain and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, from literature and academia to military service and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alanes
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.9%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Alanes 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 Alanes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander48.6% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino45.9% · 50
- White2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alanes
Alanes appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-10 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,048 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 10,048 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 Alanes 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 | #140,157 | #150,205 | -7.2% |
| Count | 119 | 109 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alanes bearers went from 119 to 109 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 10,048 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #150,205.
FAQ
Alanes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alanes?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Alanes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Alanes?
Alanes ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Alanes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Alanes.
Has Alanes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alanes went from 119 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Alanes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.9%) and White (2.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alanes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alanes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (48.6%), Hispanic (45.9%), White (2.8%). 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 Alanes (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 Alanes mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from Alán, Navarre, Spain. 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 Alanes (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 many people have the surname Alanes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.