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

Alcain, 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 Alcain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alcain in America

Alcain is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alcain surname appeared 107 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 Alcain.

The history of the last name Alcain

The surname Alcain is of Spanish origin, originating from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. The name is believed to have derived from the Basque word "alka," which means "oak" or "oak tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked with oak trees, or perhaps a place name associated with oak trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Alcain can be traced back to the late 15th century in various Spanish and Basque records. One notable example is Juan Alcain, a merchant from the town of Bilbao who was documented in shipping records from the year 1487. Historical records also mention a noble family with the surname Alcain residing in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in several Spanish manuscripts and documents, including the birth records of Pedro Alcain, born in Madrid in 1621. During this time, variations in spelling, such as "Alcayn" and "Alcayne," were also commonly seen.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ignacio Alcain, a Spanish soldier who fought in the Battle of Almansa during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1707. He was commended for his bravery and later settled in the town of Alcalá de Henares, where the surname may have derived from a local place name.

Another notable figure was María Alcain, a renowned painter from the Basque region who lived from 1745 to 1812. Her works were widely celebrated and are still displayed in various art galleries across Spain.

In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Joaquín Alcain y Ferrer, a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish Parliament from 1863 to 1879.

While the surname Alcain is not as common as some other Spanish surnames, it has a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in the Basque region and parts of northern Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alcain

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

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 Alcain 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!