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

Alby, 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 Alby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alby in America

Alby is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alby surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alby 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 Alby

The surname Alby is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from any one of several places called Ailby, Aleby, or Aluaby, which were small villages or hamlets. These place names are believed to come from the Old Norse word "alu," meaning "meadow" or "pasture," combined with the Old Norse word "by," meaning a farm or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Alby or variations of it, such as Ailby or Aluaby.

During the 13th century, there are records of an individual named John de Alby, who was a prominent clergyman and scholar. He was born in the village of Alby in Lincolnshire, England, around 1180 and died in 1265. John de Alby served as the Archbishop of Vienne in France and was known for his writing on canon law.

Another notable individual with the surname Alby was Sir William Alby, who lived in the 14th century. He was a knight and landowner from Lincolnshire, England, and his name is mentioned in various legal documents and records from that period.

In the 16th century, there was a renowned English writer and translator named Edward Alby, who was born in 1510 and died in 1570. He is known for his translations of works from Latin and Greek into English, including writings by Cicero and Erasmus.

During the 17th century, a man named Thomas Alby gained recognition as a prominent merchant and philanthropist in London. He was born in 1625 and died in 1698. Thomas Alby made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and institutions in the city.

Throughout its history, the surname Alby has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as Alby in Lincolnshire, Alby in Norfolk, and Alby in Suffolk, among others. These place names likely derived from the same Old Norse roots as the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alby

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

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

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

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