2000
#3,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.66
Uncommon Last name
Alba
A habitational surname referring to someone from Alba, the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, or a place named Alba.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,157 Americans carry the last name Alba. That puts it at #2,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,614 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alba 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Alba with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,614
Census rank
#2,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,218 bearers of the surname Alba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alba
Among Census respondents with the surname Alba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Alba 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 Alba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino80.7% · 10,664
- White11.9% · 1,579
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 729
- Two or more races1.1% · 151
- Black or African American0.5% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alba
Alba 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
#2,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,347
+3,475 bearers (+35.2%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Up 625 places
2020
#2,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,218
-129 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 4.42
Rank movement Up 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,324 | 9,872 | 3.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,699 | 13,347 | 4.52 | +3,475 bearers (+35.2%) | Up 625 places |
| 2020 | #2,665 | 13,218 | 4.42 | -129 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 34 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 Alba 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 | #2,699 | #2,665 | 1.3% |
| Count | 13,347 | 13,218 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.52 | 4.42 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alba bearers went from 13,347 to 13,218 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,699 to #2,665.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Alba
FAQ
Alba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alba?
Name Census estimates that about 15,157 living Americans carry the surname Alba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,614 residents.
How common is Alba?
Alba ranks #2,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.42 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 13,218 people with the surname Alba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.42 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 Alba.
Has Alba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alba went from 13,347 recorded bearers to 13,218. That is a decrease of 129 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,699 to #2,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Alba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alba, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%). 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 Alba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (10,664 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (80.7%), White (11.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.5%). 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 Alba (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 Alba mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from Alba, the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, or a place named Alba. 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 Alba (4.42 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 Alba?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.