2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Albear
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Albear, meaning "a place with white soil or clay."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Albear. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Albear 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Albear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Albear, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Albear
The surname ALBEAR is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the regions of Andalusia and Castile in the late Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "al-bi'r," meaning "the well" or "the source," reflecting the influence of the Moorish culture that once thrived in the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest known records of the ALBEAR surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, dating back to the 15th century. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Alvear" or "Albiar," which were common variations at the time.
In the 16th century, the ALBEAR family gained prominence in the town of Albear, located in the province of Salamanca, Castile. It is speculated that this small town may have been named after the family, or vice versa, as it was not uncommon for surnames to originate from place names during that era.
Notable individuals bearing the ALBEAR surname include Juan de Albear (c. 1480-1550), a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of the iconic Cathedral of Seville. His masterful work on the cathedral's intricate stonework and ornate designs has been celebrated throughout the ages.
Another figure of importance was Diego de Albear (1590-1662), a Spanish military commander who played a pivotal role in the conquest of the Canary Islands. His bravery and strategic prowess during the campaigns earned him recognition and titles from the Spanish Crown.
In the 18th century, the ALBEAR name gained international recognition with the exploits of José de Albear y Fernández (1768-1835), a Cuban-born military engineer and cartographer. His exceptional skills in fortification design and mapmaking were instrumental in the defense of Havana during the Spanish-American War.
Fast-forwarding to the 20th century, Francisco Albear y Lara (1912-1981) was a prominent Cuban politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the turbulent years of the Cuban Revolution.
The ALBEAR surname has also been associated with places beyond the Iberian Peninsula, including the town of Albear in the Cuban province of Las Villas, which was likely named after the illustrious engineer José de Albear y Fernández.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Albear
Among Census respondents with the surname Albear, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Albear 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 Albear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.8% · 103
- White7.8% · 9
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Albear
Albear 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+5 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,258 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-12 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,822 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 4,258 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 12,822 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 Albear 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 | #132,206 | #145,028 | -9.7% |
| Count | 128 | 116 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Albear bearers went from 128 to 116 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 12,822 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #145,028.
FAQ
Albear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Albear?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Albear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Albear?
Albear ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 116 people with the surname Albear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Albear.
Has Albear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Albear went from 128 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Albear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Albear, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Albear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Albear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.8%), White (7.8%), Black (2.6%). 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 Albear (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 Albear mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Albear, meaning "a place with white soil or clay." 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 Albear (0.04 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 last name Albear?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Albear at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.