2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Alarco
Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name of uncertain origin, possibly related to the Basque word "alarko" meaning "clamor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Alarco. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alarco 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Alarco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alarco
The surname ALARCO is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "al-arq," which means "the sweat" or "the perspiration." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked in a physically demanding occupation or lived in a particularly hot region of Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ALARCO surname appears in the Catalan town of Vilanova i la Geltrú, located near Barcelona, in the 13th century. Historical documents from this time period mention a family with the surname ALARCO living in the area. It is possible that the name originated in this region before spreading to other parts of Spain and eventually beyond.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jaime ALARCO (1420-1492) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Valencia. He is mentioned in several municipal records and was known for his successful trading business and philanthropic efforts.
Another individual of note was Fernán ALARCO (1525-1598), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied many expeditions to the Americas in the 16th century. He is credited with mapping several coastal regions of South America and contributing to the expansion of Spain's colonial empire.
During the 17th century, a member of the ALARCO family, María ALARCO (1635-1712), gained recognition for her work as a painter in the Spanish city of Seville. Her paintings, which often depicted religious scenes and portraits, can still be found in several churches and museums in the region.
In the 19th century, a famous poet and writer named Emilio ALARCO (1815-1887) gained widespread acclaim for his lyrical works, which often celebrated the beauty of the Spanish countryside and explored themes of love and nature. His poetry collections were widely read and influential during his lifetime.
Another notable individual with the ALARCO surname was Javier ALARCO (1875-1942), a Spanish politician and diplomat who served as Spain's ambassador to several countries, including France and the United States, in the early 20th century. He was known for his efforts to promote international cooperation and diplomacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alarco
Among Census respondents with the surname Alarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Alarco 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 Alarco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 92
- White8.7% · 9
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alarco
Alarco 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-36 bearers (-25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 30,526 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -36 bearers (-25.7%) | Down 30,526 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 Alarco 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 | #123,064 | #153,590 | -24.8% |
| Count | 140 | 104 | -25.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alarco bearers went from 140 to 104 (-25.7% change). The surname moved down 30,526 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #153,590.
FAQ
Alarco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alarco?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Alarco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Alarco?
Alarco ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Alarco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Alarco.
Has Alarco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alarco went from 140 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 36 (-25.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Alarco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alarco, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Alarco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alarco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (8.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Alarco (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 Alarco mean?
Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name of uncertain origin, possibly related to the Basque word "alarko" meaning "clamor." 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 Alarco (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Alarco?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.