2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alcanter
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "alcan," meaning "wine merchant" or "innkeeper."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Alcanter. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alcanter 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Alcanter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcanter, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (38.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alcanter
The surname Alcanter has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "alcantara," which means "bridge" or "aqueduct." This surname was likely given to individuals who lived near a prominent bridge or aqueduct, or those who were involved in their construction or maintenance.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the "Libro de los Fueros de Castilla," which was a legal code established during the reign of Alfonso X, the Wise. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Alcanter, indicating its presence in medieval Spanish society.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Rodrigo Alcanter, a nobleman who lived in the city of Seville in the late 13th century. He was known for his contributions to the city's infrastructure, particularly in the construction of several bridges and aqueducts.
In the 15th century, the name Alcanter gained prominence when Juan Alcanter, a renowned architect, was commissioned to design and oversee the construction of the famous Alcántara Bridge in Toledo. This impressive structure, which spans the Tagus River, is considered a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture and remains a popular tourist attraction to this day.
Another notable figure with this surname was María Alcanter, a 16th-century writer and poet from Córdoba. Her collection of poems, titled "Versos de Amor y Pasión," was widely acclaimed during her lifetime and is considered an important work in the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
During the 17th century, the Alcanter family established a prominent presence in the region of Andalusia, where they owned several estates and vineyards. One member of this family, Diego Alcanter, gained recognition for his contributions to the local wine industry and was instrumental in developing new grape cultivation techniques.
In the 19th century, a famous explorer and naturalist named Ramón Alcanter embarked on several expeditions to the Americas, where he documented numerous plant and animal species. His detailed journals and illustrations were invaluable contributions to the scientific community of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alcanter
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcanter, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (38.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Alcanter 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 Alcanter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino56.7% · 68
- White38.3% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alcanter
Alcanter 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-18 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 28,346 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+19 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,663 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 28,346 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 17,663 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 Alcanter 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 | #159,712 | #142,049 | 11.1% |
| Count | 101 | 120 | 18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alcanter bearers went from 101 to 120 (+18.8% change). The surname moved up 17,663 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #142,049.
FAQ
Alcanter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alcanter?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Alcanter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Alcanter?
Alcanter ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Alcanter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Alcanter.
Has Alcanter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alcanter went from 101 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 19 (+18.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Alcanter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcanter, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (38.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Alcanter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alcanter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (56.7%), White (38.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.5%). 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 Alcanter (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 Alcanter mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "alcan," meaning "wine merchant" or "innkeeper." 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 Alcanter (0.04 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 Alcanter?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.