Find out how popular the last name Alcott is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alcott.

Alcott, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alcott surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alcott in America

Alcott is the 18253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alcott surname appeared 1,522 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Alcott.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alcott to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alcott

The surname Alcott originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ald" and "cot," which together mean "old cottage" or "old dwelling." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a particular location or residence.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Alcott name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and tenants in various counties of England. The name is spelled "Aldecote" in this record, reflecting its Old English roots.

By the 14th century, variations such as "Aldecott" and "Aldcott" had emerged, as evidenced in historical records like the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These slight spelling variations were common during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet widely established.

In the 16th century, the Alcott surname appeared in various parish records and court documents across different regions of England, including Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widespread by that time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Alcott surname was Thomas Alcott (c. 1490-1557), who served as the Abbot of Waltham Abbey in Essex during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent individual was Michael Alcott (c. 1550-1620), an English clergyman and theologian who authored several religious works.

In the 17th century, the surname Alcott gained further recognition with the birth of Nathaniel Alcott (1638-1692), an English-born settler who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a prominent landowner and tavern keeper in the town of Lynn.

The 19th century saw the rise of one of the most famous individuals with the Alcott surname – Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the renowned American novelist best known for her classic work "Little Women." Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), was an educational reformer and philosopher.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Alcott name include William Alcott (1798-1859), an American physician and educator who promoted vegetarianism and temperance; and Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney Alcott (1888-1960), an American novelist and biographer.

Throughout its history, the Alcott surname has maintained a strong presence, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its legacy spanning numerous generations of notable individuals across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alcott

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alcott.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alcott was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alcott has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alcott was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alcott, please contact us.

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