2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alekna
Of Lithuanian origin, derived from the personal name Alekna, which is a diminutive form of Alexander or Alexis.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Alekna. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alekna 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Alekna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alekna, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alekna
The surname Alekna has its origins in Lithuania, a country located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
Alekna is derived from the Lithuanian word "alekna," which means "alder tree." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived near or were associated with alder trees or groves.
While there are no specific historical references to the name appearing in ancient manuscripts or records, it is likely that the surname originated as a descriptive name given to families or individuals who resided near or worked with alder trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 16th century, when a Lithuanian nobleman named Jonas Alekna was mentioned in a document from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. However, the exact date of this record is uncertain.
Another notable figure bearing the Alekna surname was Mykolas Alekna, a Lithuanian historian and writer who lived from 1857 to 1888. He wrote extensively about Lithuanian history and culture, contributing to the preservation of the nation's heritage during a period of foreign occupation.
In the 20th century, Virgilijus Alekna, a Lithuanian discus thrower, brought international recognition to the name. He won gold medals in the discus throw at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and held the world record in the event for several years.
Juozas Alekna, a Lithuanian politician and diplomat, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from 1992 to 1996, playing a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations for the newly independent country.
Lastly, Romas Alekna, a Lithuanian architect, has left a lasting impact on the country's built environment. He designed several notable buildings in Vilnius, including the Contemporary Art Center and the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre.
While the Alekna surname may not have a long and storied history in ancient records, it has been carried by prominent figures in various fields throughout the centuries, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Lithuania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alekna
Among Census respondents with the surname Alekna, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Alekna 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 Alekna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alekna
Alekna 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,665 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11,665 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,557 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 Alekna 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 | #142,108 | #148,665 | -4.6% |
| Count | 117 | 111 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alekna bearers went from 117 to 111 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,557 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #148,665.
FAQ
Alekna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alekna?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Alekna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Alekna?
Alekna ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Alekna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Alekna.
Has Alekna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alekna went from 117 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Alekna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alekna, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Alekna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alekna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Alekna (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 Alekna mean?
Of Lithuanian origin, derived from the personal name Alekna, which is a diminutive form of Alexander or Alexis. 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 Alekna (0.04 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 have the surname Alekna?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.