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

Alaniz, 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 Alaniz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alaniz in America

Alaniz is the 2189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alaniz surname appeared 16,596 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Alaniz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alaniz 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 Alaniz

The surname Alaniz is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a habitational name derived from the place name "Alanís," a town in the province of Seville, Andalusia. The town's name is believed to have been derived from the Arabic word "al-'anis," meaning "the friendly one" or "the companion."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Alaniz can be found in medieval documents from the Kingdom of Castile. One notable example is Pedro Alaniz, a knight who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors during the 13th century. He was mentioned in chronicles as participating in the conquest of Seville in 1248.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Juan Alaniz, a celebrated poet and troubadour from Seville who lived in the late 14th century. His works, which were highly acclaimed during his lifetime, offer insights into the literary and cultural traditions of medieval Andalusia.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Alaniz surname spread throughout the Spanish Empire, with many bearers settling in the Americas. One prominent figure was Diego Alaniz (c. 1560-1635), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile and later served as a governor in the region.

In the realm of literature, Francisco Alaniz (1742-1810) was a prominent Spanish playwright and poet from Madrid. His works, which often satirized the social and political issues of his time, earned him widespread recognition and influence during the Age of Enlightenment.

Another noteworthy individual was María Alaniz (1825-1892), a renowned Spanish opera singer who achieved great success performing in major opera houses throughout Europe during the 19th century. She was particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of roles in operas by composers such as Verdi and Donizetti.

The Alaniz surname has a rich history spanning centuries, originating from a small town in Andalusia and eventually spreading across Spain and its territories. Its bearers have left their mark in various fields, from military conquest and literature to the performing arts, reflecting the cultural and historical diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alaniz

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

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

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

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