2000
#4,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,716
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.86
Rare Last name
Alcorn
A Scottish and northern English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill" or "at the horn-shaped hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,579 Americans carry the last name Alcorn. That puts it at #4,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alcorn 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Alcorn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,953
Census rank
#4,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,481 bearers of the surname Alcorn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alcorn
The surname Alcorn originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Allcorn, which is believed to come from the Scots Gaelic words "ail" meaning "rock" and "corn" meaning "horn" or "promontory." This suggests that the name likely referred to a rocky headland or promontory.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the form "de Aluecorne" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This early spelling variation highlights the name's Scottish roots.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "Aulcorne" and "Alecorne," in records from the counties of Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire, where the name is believed to have originated. These records suggest that the Alcorn family held lands in these areas during this time period.
One notable bearer of the Alcorn surname was John Alcorn, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He served as the minister of the parish of Prestonpans in East Lothian and was known for his religious writings and teachings.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the form "Alquhorn" in the Inquisitionum ad Capellam Domini Regis Retornatarum, a record of land ownership in Scotland. This document mentions an individual named Robert Alquhorn, who held lands in the county of Ayrshire.
Another prominent figure with the Alcorn surname was Sir John Alcorn, a Scottish soldier who lived in the 18th century. He served in the British Army and rose to the rank of lieutenant-general, participating in several notable battles during the Seven Years' War.
During the 19th century, the Alcorn family continued to have a presence in Scotland, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various records and documents. One such individual was James Alcorn, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1838 to 1916. He made significant contributions to the town of Paisley, where he established a public park and funded the construction of several buildings.
The name Alcorn has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom, including England and Ireland, likely due to migration and the spread of Scottish families over time. However, its origins can be traced back to the rocky landscapes of Scotland, where it first emerged as a locational surname centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alcorn
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Alcorn 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 Alcorn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 6,074
- Black or African American9.3% · 692
- Two or more races4.4% · 331
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 282
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alcorn
Alcorn 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
#4,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,884
+168 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Down 251 places
2020
#4,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,481
-403 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,247 | 7,716 | 2.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,498 | 7,884 | 2.67 | +168 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 251 places |
| 2020 | #4,600 | 7,481 | 2.50 | -403 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 102 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 Alcorn 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 | #4,498 | #4,600 | -2.3% |
| Count | 7,884 | 7,481 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.67 | 2.50 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alcorn bearers went from 7,884 to 7,481 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,498 to #4,600.
FAQ
Alcorn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alcorn?
Name Census estimates that about 8,579 living Americans carry the surname Alcorn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,953 residents.
How common is Alcorn?
Alcorn ranks #4,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,481 people with the surname Alcorn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Alcorn.
Has Alcorn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alcorn went from 7,884 recorded bearers to 7,481. That is a decrease of 403 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,498 to #4,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Alcorn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alcorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alcorn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (6,074 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alcorn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (9.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Alcorn (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 Alcorn mean?
A Scottish and northern English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "rocky hill" or "at the horn-shaped hill." 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 Alcorn (2.50 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 are called Alcorn?
See how many people have the surname Alcorn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.