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

Alegre, 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 Alegre surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alegre in America

Alegre is the 14704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alegre surname appeared 2,022 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 Alegre.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alegre 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 Alegre

The surname Alegre has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "alegre," which means "joyful" or "cheerful." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone with a particularly lively or merry demeanor.

The earliest known record of the Alegre surname dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in various documents from the regions of Catalonia and Valencia. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas and later spread to other parts of Spain and its territories.

One notable historical reference to the Alegre name can be found in the "Libro de Armería," a heraldic manuscript from the late 15th century. This work includes depictions and descriptions of the coats of arms associated with various noble families, including the Alegres.

In the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Juan Alegre (1517-1572), a renowned Spanish poet and playwright. His works, which included comedies and religious plays, earned him recognition and helped to establish the Alegre name in the literary circles of the time.

Another notable figure with the Alegre surname was Pedro Alegre (1560-1623), a Spanish Jesuit missionary who traveled to South America and played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in present-day Argentina and Paraguay.

Moving forward to the 18th century, we encounter Francisco Alegre (1719-1788), a Mexican-born Jesuit priest and historian. His writings, particularly his "Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en Nueva España," provided valuable insights into the history of the Jesuit order in New Spain (Mexico).

In the 19th century, the name Alegre was associated with Gaspar Alegre (1805-1888), a Spanish politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

Another notable figure was Miguel Alegre (1879-1964), a Spanish sculptor and ceramist who gained recognition for his works in the Modernist and Art Nouveau styles. His sculptures adorned many buildings in Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia.

These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the Alegre surname throughout history, contributing to its recognition and significance across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alegre

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

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 Alegre 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 Alegre 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 Alegre was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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