2000
#4,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,567
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.81
Uncommon Last name
Alanis
A French surname derived from the Visigothic name Athal, meaning "noble."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,838 Americans carry the last name Alanis. That puts it at #3,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alanis 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
13K
1 in 26,698
Census rank
#3,141
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,195 bearers of the surname Alanis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alanis
The surname Alanis is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the Basque region. Its roots can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is thought to have derived from the Basque word "ala," which means "meadow" or "plain," and the suffix "-nis," which is a common ending for place names in the Basque language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alanis can be found in a manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a nobleman named Juan de Alanis. This document suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the Middle Ages, the Alanis family played a significant role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle between Christian and Moorish forces for control of the Iberian Peninsula. Several members of the family were noted for their military prowess and their dedication to the Christian cause.
In the 16th century, a renowned Spanish explorer named Pedro de Alanis embarked on several expeditions to the Americas, contributing to the expansion of the Spanish Empire. He was born in 1501 in Seville and is believed to have died in the late 1500s, though the exact date is unknown.
Another notable figure with the surname Alanis was Beatriz de Alanis, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the 17th century. She was born in Granada in 1620 and is best known for her collection of poems titled "Flores del Parnaso" (Flowers of Parnassus), published in 1665.
The name Alanis also has ties to various place names in Spain, such as the town of Alanís in the province of Seville, which likely derived its name from the same Basque roots as the surname.
In the 19th century, a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer named Juan Alanis y Pérez de Salamanca was born in 1815 in Seville. He served as a member of parliament and played a significant role in the legal reforms of the time.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Alanis has spread beyond Spain to other parts of the world, carried by descendants of the original Basque families. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural heritage of the Basque region and the historical events that shaped the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alanis
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Alanis 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 Alanis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.8% · 10,610
- White4.4% · 489
- Two or more races0.2% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alanis
Alanis 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
#3,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,029
+3,462 bearers (+45.8%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Up 1,071 places
2020
#3,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,195
+166 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Up 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,345 | 7,567 | 2.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,274 | 11,029 | 3.74 | +3,462 bearers (+45.8%) | Up 1,071 places |
| 2020 | #3,141 | 11,195 | 3.75 | +166 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 133 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 Alanis 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 | #3,274 | #3,141 | 4.1% |
| Count | 11,029 | 11,195 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.74 | 3.75 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alanis bearers went from 11,029 to 11,195 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,274 to #3,141.
FAQ
Alanis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alanis?
Name Census estimates that about 12,838 living Americans carry the surname Alanis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,698 residents.
How common is Alanis?
Alanis ranks #3,141 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,195 people with the surname Alanis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Alanis.
Has Alanis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alanis went from 11,029 recorded bearers to 11,195. That is an increase of 166 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,274 to #3,141.
What does the Census say about the background of Alanis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alanis, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (0.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alanis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (10,610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alanis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.8%), White (4.4%), Two or More Races (0.2%). 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 Alanis (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 Alanis mean?
A French surname derived from the Visigothic name Athal, meaning "noble." 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 Alanis (3.75 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 Alanis?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.