2000
#2,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,972
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.81
Uncommon Last name
Alcala
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Alcalá in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,655 Americans carry the last name Alcala. That puts it at #2,058 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,439 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alcala 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
20K
1 in 17,439
Census rank
#2,058
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,140 bearers of the surname Alcala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2058th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcala, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alcala
The surname Alcala originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish place name "Alcalá," which comes from the Arabic word "al-qal'a" meaning "the castle" or "the citadel." This suggests that the name likely originated among individuals who lived in or near a castle or fortified town.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Alcala can be found in medieval Spanish records and documents. One notable example is Pedro de Alcala, a Spanish grammarian and linguist who lived from around 1490 to 1554. He is known for his work in translating and publishing an Arabic-Spanish dictionary and grammar book, which helped facilitate communication and cultural exchange between the two societies.
Another prominent figure with the surname Alcala was Jerónimo de Alcalá Yáñez y Ribera, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who lived from around 1560 to 1632. He served as the Governor of Milán and was a member of the prestigious Order of Santiago.
In the 17th century, the name appears in records related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One example is Juan de Alcala, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.
During the 18th century, the surname Alcala was associated with several notable figures in the Spanish arts and literature. One such individual was Antonio Alcalá Galiano, a Spanish writer, politician, and diplomat who lived from 1789 to 1865. He was known for his literary works, including novels and plays, as well as his involvement in Spanish politics during a turbulent period of the country's history.
In the 19th century, the surname Alcala gained prominence in the field of medicine. One notable figure was Juan Alcalá Zamora, a Spanish physician and politician who lived from 1828 to 1899. He served as the Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts in Spain and made significant contributions to the field of public health and medical education.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable figures associated with the surname Alcala, which has its roots in medieval Spain and has since spread across the globe through Spanish exploration, colonization, and cultural influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alcala
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcala, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Alcala 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 Alcala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.0% · 15,592
- White5.6% · 967
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 413
- Black or African American0.4% · 75
- Two or more races0.4% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alcala
Alcala 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
#2,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,758
+4,786 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 6.02
Rank movement Up 533 places
2020
#2,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,140
-618 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 5.73
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,562 | 12,972 | 4.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,029 | 17,758 | 6.02 | +4,786 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 533 places |
| 2020 | #2,058 | 17,140 | 5.73 | -618 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 29 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 Alcala 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 | #2,029 | #2,058 | -1.4% |
| Count | 17,758 | 17,140 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.02 | 5.73 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alcala bearers went from 17,758 to 17,140 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,029 to #2,058.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Alcala
FAQ
Alcala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alcala?
Name Census estimates that about 19,655 living Americans carry the surname Alcala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,439 residents.
How common is Alcala?
Alcala ranks #2,058 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,140 people with the surname Alcala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Alcala.
Has Alcala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alcala went from 17,758 recorded bearers to 17,140. That is a decrease of 618 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,029 to #2,058.
What does the Census say about the background of Alcala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcala, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Alcala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (15,592 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alcala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.0%), White (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Alcala (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 Alcala mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Alcalá in Spain. 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 Alcala (5.73 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 Alcala?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.