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

Alba, 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 Alba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alba in America

Alba is the 2699th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alba surname appeared 13,347 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Alba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alba 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 Alba

The surname Alba is of Italian origin, with its roots traceable to the medieval period. Alba is a derivative of the Latin word "albus," which means "white" or "bright." This surname likely originated in the Italian region of Piedmont, where the city of Alba is located.

The name Alba can be found in several ancient records, including the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of legal documents from the Lombard era dating back to the 8th century. Additionally, the name appears in the "Codice Diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova," a compilation of diplomatic records from the Republic of Genoa, which dates back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Alba was Giovanni Alba, a Genoese merchant and diplomat who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in several trade agreements and diplomatic correspondence between Genoa and other Mediterranean cities.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Alba was Guglielmo Alba, a renowned painter from the city of Siena. His works adorned several churches and public buildings in Siena and its surrounding areas.

During the Renaissance period, the Alba family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of Italy. Francesco Alba, born in 1451 and died in 1524, was a prominent humanist scholar and diplomat who served as an ambassador for the Medici family in Florence.

Another notable individual with the surname Alba was Pietro Alba, a 16th-century Italian architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several fortifications and public buildings in various cities across Italy.

In the literary realm, Rafaello Alba, born in 1609 and died in 1675, was a celebrated Italian poet and playwright. His works, such as "La Vergine Guerriera" (The Warrior Virgin), were widely acclaimed and performed in theaters throughout Italy.

The surname Alba has also been associated with place names, such as the town of Alba Longa, an ancient Latin settlement located near present-day Rome. Additionally, there are variations of the name, including Albi and Albo, which can be found in different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alba

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

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

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

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