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

Alas, 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 Alas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alas in America

Alas is the 7619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alas surname appeared 4,358 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Alas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alas 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 Alas

The surname Alas is believed to have its origins in Spain, specifically in the Basque region. It is thought to derive from the Basque word "alatz," which means "open space" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or near an open area or clearing in a forested or mountainous region.

Historically, the name Alas can be traced back to the medieval period in the Basque region of Spain. While it does not appear in the Domesday Book, which was a record of landowners in England in the 11th century, there are records of the name Alas in various Basque documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Alas was Juan Alas, a merchant who lived in the Basque town of Bilbao in the late 15th century. Another notable individual was Pedro Alas, a Basque soldier who fought in the Spanish Armada against the English in 1588.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Alas was Maria Alas, a nun and writer who authored several religious texts and was known for her devotion to the Virgin Mary. She lived in the Basque region from 1620 to 1687.

Moving into the 18th century, there was Francisco Alas, a Basque architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the region between 1725 and 1790.

In the 19th century, a notable individual with the surname Alas was Leopoldo Alas, a Spanish writer and literary critic who was also known by his pen name "Clarín." He was born in 1852 and died in 1901, and was renowned for his novels and essays that explored the social and political issues of his time.

Over the centuries, the surname Alas has spread beyond the Basque region and can now be found in various parts of Spain, as well as in other countries with Spanish heritage or influence. However, its Basque origins and connections to the open spaces and clearings of that region remain an integral part of its history and meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alas

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

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

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

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