2000
#10,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,960
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Alejandre
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Alejandro, meaning "defender" or "protector of mankind."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,783 Americans carry the last name Alejandre. That puts it at #7,651 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alejandre 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
4.8K
1 in 71,661
Census rank
#7,651
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,171 bearers of the surname Alejandre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7651st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejandre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alejandre
The surname Alejandre originated in Spain, with its roots stretching back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish name Alejandro, which itself traces its origins to the Greek name Alexandros, meaning "defender of men." The earliest recorded instances of the name Alejandre can be found in historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, primarily in the regions of Castile and Aragon.
One notable historical reference to the name Alejandre is found in the Cantar de Mio Cid, an epic poem from the 12th century that recounts the exploits of the Castilian hero El Cid. In this work, a character named Alejandre is mentioned as one of El Cid's loyal knights. This suggests that the name was already well-established and in use among the nobility of that era.
The surname Alejandre has also been associated with various place names throughout Spain, particularly in regions where it was more prevalent. For instance, the town of Alejandre in the province of Teruel, Aragon, may have been named after an individual bearing this surname or may have served as the source of the name itself.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Alejandre have achieved noteworthy accomplishments. One such figure was Fray Alonso Alejandre (1502-1570), a Spanish Dominican friar and theologian who served as the confessor to King Philip II of Spain. Another was Don Juan Alejandre (1618-1698), a Spanish military commander who participated in the Thirty Years' War and the Franco-Spanish War.
In the realm of literature, Pedro Alejandre (1805-1867) was a Spanish poet and playwright known for his works in the Romantic tradition. His contemporaries included José Zorrilla and Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch. Meanwhile, in the field of art, Ramón Alejandre (1857-1926) was a renowned Spanish painter and sculptor who specialized in religious and historical themes.
Another notable figure bearing this surname was General Manuel Alejandre (1884-1968), a Spanish military officer who played a significant role in the Spanish Civil War. He initially supported the Republican government but later defected to the Nationalist side led by General Francisco Franco.
These examples illustrate the diverse contributions of individuals with the surname Alejandre throughout Spanish history, spanning various fields and eras. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval times, its legacy continues to be woven into the cultural tapestry of Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alejandre
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejandre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Alejandre 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 Alejandre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.9% · 4,000
- White2.6% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
- Two or more races0.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alejandre
Alejandre 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
#7,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,528
+1,568 bearers (+53.0%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Up 2,686 places
2020
#7,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,171
-357 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,043 | 2,960 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,357 | 4,528 | 1.54 | +1,568 bearers (+53.0%) | Up 2,686 places |
| 2020 | #7,651 | 4,171 | 1.40 | -357 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 294 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 Alejandre 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 | #7,357 | #7,651 | -4.0% |
| Count | 4,528 | 4,171 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.40 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alejandre bearers went from 4,528 to 4,171 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 294 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,357 to #7,651.
FAQ
Alejandre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alejandre?
Name Census estimates that about 4,783 living Americans carry the surname Alejandre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,661 residents.
How common is Alejandre?
Alejandre ranks #7,651 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,171 people with the surname Alejandre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,783), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Alejandre.
Has Alejandre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alejandre went from 4,528 recorded bearers to 4,171. That is a decrease of 357 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,357 to #7,651.
What does the Census say about the background of Alejandre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejandre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Alejandre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (4,000 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alejandre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.9%), White (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Alejandre (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 Alejandre mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Alejandro, meaning "defender" or "protector of mankind." 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 Alejandre (1.40 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 Alejandre?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.