2000
#3,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,802
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.26
Uncommon Last name
Alcantar
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the several places named Alcántara, derived from Arabic al-qantarah meaning "the bridge."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,901 Americans carry the last name Alcantar. That puts it at #2,897 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,657 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alcantar 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
14K
1 in 24,657
Census rank
#2,897
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,122 bearers of the surname Alcantar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2897th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcantar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alcantar
The surname Alcantar has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "al-qantar," which refers to a bridge or archway. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near or worked on bridges or archways during the Moorish rule in parts of Spain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Alcantar surname can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a manuscript from the 14th century that documents hunting grounds and landowners in medieval Spain. In this text, there are references to individuals with variations of the surname, such as Alcantar and Alcanatara.
The Alcantar surname is also connected to several place names in Spain, including Alcántara, a municipality in the province of Cáceres, and Alcantarilla, a town in the region of Murcia. These place names likely originated from the Arabic term "al-qantar," further reinforcing the surname's Arabic roots.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals bearing the Alcantar surname. One example is Pedro de Alcantar (1499-1562), a Spanish Franciscan friar and mystic who was later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Another prominent figure was Mateo de Alcantar (1537-1615), a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Philippines.
In the 16th century, records show that the Alcantar surname was present in various regions of Spain, including Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile. During this period, individuals with the surname held positions of importance, such as landowners, military officers, and members of the clergy.
Other notable individuals with the Alcantar surname include Juan de Alcantar (1551-1621), a Spanish painter and sculptor known for his works in churches and monasteries, and Diego de Alcantar (1590-1662), a Spanish military engineer who designed fortifications and defensive structures in various parts of Spain and its colonies.
It is worth noting that the surname Alcantar has also been found in other Spanish-speaking countries, likely due to the spread of Spanish influence and migration patterns throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alcantar
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcantar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Alcantar 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 Alcantar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.4% · 11,562
- White3.4% · 409
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 48
- Black or African American0.3% · 41
- Two or more races0.3% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alcantar
Alcantar 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
#2,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,919
+4,117 bearers (+46.8%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Up 907 places
2020
#2,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,122
-797 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 4.06
Rank movement Down 103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,701 | 8,802 | 3.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,794 | 12,919 | 4.38 | +4,117 bearers (+46.8%) | Up 907 places |
| 2020 | #2,897 | 12,122 | 4.06 | -797 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 103 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 Alcantar 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 | #2,794 | #2,897 | -3.7% |
| Count | 12,919 | 12,122 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.38 | 4.06 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alcantar bearers went from 12,919 to 12,122 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 103 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,794 to #2,897.
FAQ
Alcantar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alcantar?
Name Census estimates that about 13,901 living Americans carry the surname Alcantar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,657 residents.
How common is Alcantar?
Alcantar ranks #2,897 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,122 people with the surname Alcantar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Alcantar.
Has Alcantar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alcantar went from 12,919 recorded bearers to 12,122. That is a decrease of 797 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,794 to #2,897.
What does the Census say about the background of Alcantar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcantar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Alcantar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (11,562 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alcantar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.4%), White (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Alcantar (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 Alcantar mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the several places named Alcántara, derived from Arabic al-qantarah meaning "the bridge." 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 Alcantar (4.06 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 Americans have the surname Alcantar?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.