2000
#7,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Albin
Derived from the Latin name Albinus, meaning "white" or "bright," likely referring to someone with very pale hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,604 Americans carry the last name Albin. That puts it at #7,928 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,447 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Albin 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 Albin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,447
Census rank
#7,928
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,015 bearers of the surname Albin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7928th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Albin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Albin
The surname Albin is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It derives from the Old English personal name Albyn, which itself comes from the Old English word "aelf" meaning "elf" or "supernatural being." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with an otherworldly or mysterious appearance or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Albin can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Entries such as "Albinus" and "Albyn" appear in various counties, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname or a variant thereof.
In the 13th century, the Albin surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, an ancient census-like record of landholders and their holdings. This provides evidence of the name's continued use and establishment in England during the Middle Ages.
The surname Albin has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the village of Alben in Hertfordshire is believed to be derived from the Old English words "alor" (alder tree) and "bury" (fortified place), suggesting a connection between the surname and geographical locations.
Notable individuals bearing the Albin surname include:
1. Henry Albin (c. 1624-1696), an English writer and illustrator known for his work on natural history.
2. Eleazar Albin (c. 1690-1742), an English naturalist and artist, known for his illustrations of insects and birds.
3. John Albin (c. 1585-1663), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora in Ireland.
4. Richard Albin (c. 1670-1736), an English lawyer and author who wrote on various legal topics.
5. Thomas Albin (c. 1595-1658), an English theologian and writer who served as the Rector of Woodchurch in Kent.
As the name spread and evolved over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Albyn, Albeyn, and Albion, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic changes. However, the core elements of the name and its association with the Old English word "aelf" have remained consistent throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Albin
Among Census respondents with the surname Albin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Albin 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 Albin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 3,563
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 205
- Two or more races3.3% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 56
- Black or African American1.2% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Albin
Albin 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
#7,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,273
+26 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 521 places
2020
#7,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,015
-258 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,244 | 4,247 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,765 | 4,273 | 1.45 | +26 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 521 places |
| 2020 | #7,928 | 4,015 | 1.34 | -258 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 163 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 Albin 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 | #7,765 | #7,928 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,273 | 4,015 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.34 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Albin bearers went from 4,273 to 4,015 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,765 to #7,928.
FAQ
Albin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Albin?
Name Census estimates that about 4,604 living Americans carry the surname Albin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,447 residents.
How common is Albin?
Albin ranks #7,928 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,015 people with the surname Albin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Albin.
Has Albin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Albin went from 4,273 recorded bearers to 4,015. That is a decrease of 258 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,765 to #7,928.
What does the Census say about the background of Albin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Albin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Albin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (3,563 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Albin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Albin (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 Albin mean?
Derived from the Latin name Albinus, meaning "white" or "bright," likely referring to someone with very pale hair or complexion. 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 Albin (1.34 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 Albin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.