2000
#7,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,081
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.51
Rare Last name
Alejo
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Alejo, meaning "defender" or "protector."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,215 Americans carry the last name Alejo. That puts it at #5,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,506 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alejo 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
7.2K
1 in 47,506
Census rank
#5,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,292 bearers of the surname Alejo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alejo
The surname Alejo originated in Spain during the medieval period, derived from the Spanish form of the Greek name Alexios, meaning "defender" or "helper." The earliest known reference to this name dates back to the 11th century in the region of Castile, where it was commonly used among Christian families.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Alejo was Pedro Alejo, a prominent nobleman who served as a military commander during the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. His exploits were documented in the chronicles of Alfonso X, the King of Castile and León, in the 13th century.
The name Alejo also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from Spain, including the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript detailing the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. This suggests that individuals with this surname may have been associated with the religious and cultural significance of the Camino de Santiago during that era.
During the 15th century, the surname Alejo gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, where it was associated with the nobility and landowners. One notable figure was Juan Alejo de Villavicencio, a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts, who commissioned several works of art and architecture in the city of Seville.
In the 16th century, the Alejo family played a significant role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One of the most renowned individuals was Hernán Alejo, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to conquer Mexico. He later served as a governor in several regions of New Spain (present-day Mexico) and contributed to the establishment of Spanish settlements.
Another notable figure was María Alejo de Cervantes, a 17th-century writer and poet from Madrid, who gained recognition for her literary works and her involvement in the cultural circles of the Spanish Golden Age. Her poetry and plays were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and were published in various anthologies.
As the centuries passed, individuals with the surname Alejo continued to make their mark in various fields, including the arts, literature, and academia. One such figure was José Alejo Fernández, a renowned Spanish philosopher and educator of the 19th century, who made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alejo
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Alejo 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 Alejo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.0% · 5,160
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.9% · 813
- White3.1% · 197
- Two or more races1.0% · 64
- Black or African American0.7% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alejo
Alejo 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
#5,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,339
+2,258 bearers (+55.3%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 2,034 places
2020
#5,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,292
-47 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Up 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,520 | 4,081 | 1.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,486 | 6,339 | 2.15 | +2,258 bearers (+55.3%) | Up 2,034 places |
| 2020 | #5,347 | 6,292 | 2.11 | -47 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 139 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 Alejo 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 | #5,486 | #5,347 | 2.5% |
| Count | 6,339 | 6,292 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.15 | 2.11 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alejo bearers went from 6,339 to 6,292 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,486 to #5,347.
FAQ
Alejo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alejo?
Name Census estimates that about 7,215 living Americans carry the surname Alejo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,506 residents.
How common is Alejo?
Alejo ranks #5,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,292 people with the surname Alejo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Alejo.
Has Alejo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alejo went from 6,339 recorded bearers to 6,292. That is a decrease of 47 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,486 to #5,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Alejo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alejo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%) and White (3.1%). 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 Alejo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (5,160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alejo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.9%), White (3.1%). 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 Alejo (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 Alejo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Alejo, meaning "defender" or "protector." 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 Alejo (2.11 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 Alejo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Alejo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.