2000
#2,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,379
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.07
Uncommon Last name
Aleman
A Spanish surname indicating a person of German descent or origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,580 Americans carry the last name Aleman. That puts it at #1,503 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,895 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aleman 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
27K
1 in 12,895
Census rank
#1,503
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,179 bearers of the surname Aleman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1503rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aleman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aleman
The surname Aleman has its origins in Germany, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "alamann," which means "all man" or "entire man." This term was used to refer to the Alemanni, an ancient Germanic tribal confederation that settled in the areas of present-day southern Germany, northern Switzerland, and eastern France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Aleman can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of documents from the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland, dating back to the 8th century. The name is mentioned in connection with various landholdings and property transactions involving individuals from the Alemanni tribe.
During the High Middle Ages, the Aleman surname appeared in various records across the Holy Roman Empire. Notably, it was documented in the Liber Censuum, a papal record of taxation and landholdings compiled in the 13th century. This suggests that individuals bearing the Aleman surname held significant possessions and influence during that period.
In the 14th century, the Aleman name gained prominence with the birth of Johannes Aleman (1360-1432), a renowned German theologian and scholar. He was a prominent figure at the Council of Constance, which aimed to resolve the Western Schism within the Catholic Church.
Another notable figure was Gaspar Aleman (1550-1615), a Spanish author and soldier known for his picaresque novel "The Life of Guzman de Alfarache." This work, published in 1599, is considered a masterpiece of Spanish literature and a significant contribution to the picaresque genre.
In England, the surname Aleman can be traced back to the 16th century, with records indicating individuals bearing this name migrated from the Low Countries (present-day Belgium and the Netherlands). One such individual was Sir Thomas Aleman (1575-1654), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset.
During the 17th century, the Aleman surname gained prominence in the Dutch Republic with the birth of Rembrandt van Rijn's wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh (1612-1642). Her maiden name, van Uylenburgh, is a variation of the Aleman surname, derived from the Dutch town of Uilenburg (formerly known as Alemansburgh).
In the 18th century, the Aleman surname appeared in various records across Europe, including France, where Jean-Jacques Aleman (1743-1810) was a prominent military officer who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout its history, the surname Aleman has been associated with various prominent individuals, reflecting its widespread presence across Europe and its deep roots in the ancient Alemanni tribe. While the name's spelling has evolved over time, its connection to the Germanic heritage and the medieval period remains a significant part of its rich etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aleman
Among Census respondents with the surname Aleman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Aleman 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 Aleman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 21,315
- White6.7% · 1,562
- Black or African American0.5% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 85
- Two or more races0.3% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aleman
Aleman 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
#1,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,927
+6,548 bearers (+40.0%)
Per 100,000 7.77
Rank movement Up 458 places
2020
#1,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,179
+252 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 7.75
Rank movement Up 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,029 | 16,379 | 6.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,571 | 22,927 | 7.77 | +6,548 bearers (+40.0%) | Up 458 places |
| 2020 | #1,503 | 23,179 | 7.75 | +252 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 68 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 Aleman 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 | #1,571 | #1,503 | 4.3% |
| Count | 22,927 | 23,179 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.77 | 7.75 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aleman bearers went from 22,927 to 23,179 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,571 to #1,503.
FAQ
Aleman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aleman?
Name Census estimates that about 26,580 living Americans carry the surname Aleman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,895 residents.
How common is Aleman?
Aleman ranks #1,503 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,179 people with the surname Aleman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,580), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Aleman.
Has Aleman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aleman went from 22,927 recorded bearers to 23,179. That is an increase of 252 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,571 to #1,503.
What does the Census say about the background of Aleman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aleman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.7%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Aleman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (21,315 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aleman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (6.7%), Black (0.5%). 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 Aleman (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 Aleman mean?
A Spanish surname indicating a person of German descent or origin. 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 Aleman (7.75 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 share the surname Aleman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.