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

Alania, 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 Alania surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alania in America

Alania is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alania surname appeared 149 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 Alania.

The history of the last name Alania

The surname ALANIA has its roots in the historical region of Alania, located in the Caucasus mountains between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This region was once inhabited by the Alans, an Iranian nomadic pastoral people who were closely related to the Ossetians. The name ALANIA is derived from the Alanic word "alan" or "alon", meaning "steppe dweller" or "mountaineer".

The earliest known references to the name ALANIA can be found in ancient Greek and Roman writings, where the region and its people were mentioned. The Greek historian Strabo, in his work "Geographica" written in the 1st century BC, described the Alans as a nomadic people living in the Caucasus region. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus, writing in the 4th century AD, also mentioned the Alans in his work "Res Gestae".

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname ALANIA was Atsyz Alania, a 13th-century Alan chieftain who led his people in their resistance against the Mongol invaders. Another notable figure was Batraz Alania, a 14th-century Alan nobleman who served as a military commander in the service of the Golden Horde.

During the Middle Ages, the name ALANIA appeared in various medieval manuscripts and records, particularly those related to the Caucasus region and the Byzantine Empire. The Codex Cumanicus, a 13th-century linguistic codex, includes references to the Alans and their language.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure with the surname ALANIA was Samuil Alania, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the Kingdom of Georgia. He was known for his extensive trade networks and influence in the region.

Another notable individual was Dmitry Alania, a 16th-century Russian explorer and cartographer who is credited with mapping the Alania region and documenting its people and customs. His maps and writings were instrumental in providing valuable information about the area to the Russian Empire.

As the Alans migrated and settled in different parts of Europe and Asia over the centuries, the surname ALANIA took on various spellings and variations, such as Alania, Alanya, Alani, and Alanic. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from various regions, reflecting the spread and adaptation of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alania

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

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 Alania 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.

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 Alania was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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