2000
#4,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.98
Uncommon Last name
Alcaraz
A habitational surname referring to a person from Alcaraz, a town in Albacete, Spain, derived from Arabic al-karas, meaning "the cherry tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,677 Americans carry the last name Alcaraz. That puts it at #3,188 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alcaraz 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
13K
1 in 27,037
Census rank
#3,188
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,055 bearers of the surname Alcaraz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3188th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcaraz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alcaraz
The surname Alcaraz originated in Spain during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Arabic phrase "Al Qaraz," which translates to "the oak grove." This suggests that the name's bearers hailed from or resided near an area abundant with oak trees.
The earliest recorded instances of the Alcaraz surname can be traced back to the Reconquista period in the 13th century, when Christian kingdoms gradually reclaimed territories previously controlled by the Moors. As the Spanish forces regained control over regions like Albacete, Murcia, and Andalusia, the name Alcaraz began appearing in historical records and documents.
One notable example is the presence of the Alcaraz surname in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century manuscript that documented the distribution of land and properties among those who aided in the reconquest of Seville. This indicates that individuals bearing the Alcaraz name played a role in this significant historical event.
The town of Alcaraz, located in the province of Albacete, is believed to be the origin of the surname. This town's name is derived from the Arabic "Al Qaraz," further reinforcing the surname's connection to this region and its historical Arabic influences.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the Alcaraz surname. One example is Pedro de Alcaraz, a 15th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. Another prominent individual was Juan de Alcaraz, a 16th-century Spanish military officer and a participant in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
In the realm of literature, María de Alcaraz (1610-1674) was a Spanish poet and playwright known for her works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Her literary contributions shed light on the cultural and artistic aspects of the era.
Moving into the 18th century, Andrés de Alcaraz y Ladrón de Guevara (1732-1810) was a Spanish military officer and governor of Spanish East Florida during the American Revolutionary War. His role in the defense of Florida against British and American forces highlights the surname's presence in important historical events.
In the field of art, Isidoro Celada Alcaraz (1815-1883) was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his landscapes and religious works. His artistic contributions further enriched the cultural legacy associated with the Alcaraz surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alcaraz
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcaraz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Alcaraz 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 Alcaraz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.7% · 10,031
- White4.4% · 481
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 458
- Black or African American0.3% · 37
- Two or more races0.3% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alcaraz
Alcaraz 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
#3,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,616
+3,575 bearers (+44.5%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 972 places
2020
#3,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,055
-561 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 3.70
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,070 | 8,041 | 2.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,098 | 11,616 | 3.94 | +3,575 bearers (+44.5%) | Up 972 places |
| 2020 | #3,188 | 11,055 | 3.70 | -561 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 90 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 Alcaraz 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 | #3,098 | #3,188 | -2.9% |
| Count | 11,616 | 11,055 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.70 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alcaraz bearers went from 11,616 to 11,055 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,098 to #3,188.
FAQ
Alcaraz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alcaraz?
Name Census estimates that about 12,677 living Americans carry the surname Alcaraz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,037 residents.
How common is Alcaraz?
Alcaraz ranks #3,188 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.70 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 11,055 people with the surname Alcaraz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,677), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.70 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 Alcaraz.
Has Alcaraz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alcaraz went from 11,616 recorded bearers to 11,055. That is a decrease of 561 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,098 to #3,188.
What does the Census say about the background of Alcaraz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcaraz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Alcaraz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (10,031 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alcaraz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.7%), White (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%). 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 Alcaraz (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 Alcaraz mean?
A habitational surname referring to a person from Alcaraz, a town in Albacete, Spain, derived from Arabic al-karas, meaning "the cherry tree." 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 Alcaraz (3.70 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 Alcaraz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.