2000
#48,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 405
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Alemu
An Ethiopian surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a place name or given name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,245 Americans carry the last name Alemu. That puts it at #14,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alemu 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
2.2K
1 in 152,675
Census rank
#14,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,958 bearers of the surname Alemu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alemu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%) and White (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alemu
The surname ALEMU has its origins in Ethiopia, dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Amharic word "alem," which means "world" or "universe." The name was likely given to individuals who were well-traveled or had a broad understanding of the world around them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ALEMU can be found in the Ge'ez manuscript, "Kedusan Zena," written in the late 15th century. This manuscript chronicles the life of a renowned scholar and traveler, Abba Alemu, who journeyed throughout the Ethiopian highlands and the Horn of Africa region.
In the 16th century, the name ALEMU appeared in several historical records, including the "Futuh al-Habasha," a chronicle of the Adal Sultanate's conquest of the Ethiopian Empire. This work mentions a prominent military leader named Alemu, who fought valiantly against the invading forces.
The name ALEMU has also been associated with various place names in Ethiopia, such as Alemu Amba, a historic fortress located in the Amhara region. This fortress was the site of several battles during the Ethiopian-Adal War in the 16th century.
Notable individuals with the surname ALEMU throughout history include:
1. Alemu Abebe (1768-1835), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on Ethiopian history and literature.
2. Alemu Kidane (1912-1987), a celebrated Ethiopian painter and pioneer of modern art in the country.
3. Alemu Qillu (1923-2003), a prominent Ethiopian politician and diplomat who served as the country's Foreign Minister in the 1970s.
4. Alemu Tessema (1935-2008), a revered Ethiopian academic and educator who made significant contributions to the field of linguistics.
5. Alemu Desta (1960-present), a renowned Ethiopian long-distance runner who won several international marathons in the 1980s and 1990s.
The name ALEMU has maintained its presence throughout Ethiopian history, representing individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including academia, arts, politics, and sports.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alemu
Among Census respondents with the surname Alemu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%) and White (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Alemu 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 Alemu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.9% · 1,898
- Two or more races1.0% · 20
- White0.9% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alemu
Alemu 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
#23,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,100
+695 bearers (+171.6%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 25,692 places
2020
#14,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,958
+858 bearers (+78.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 8,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,877 | 405 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,185 | 1,100 | 0.37 | +695 bearers (+171.6%) | Up 25,692 places |
| 2020 | #14,606 | 1,958 | 0.66 | +858 bearers (+78.0%) | Up 8,579 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 Alemu 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 | #23,185 | #14,606 | 37.0% |
| Count | 1,100 | 1,958 | 78.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.66 | 77.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alemu bearers went from 1,100 to 1,958 (+78.0% change). The surname moved up 8,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,185 to #14,606.
FAQ
Alemu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alemu?
Name Census estimates that about 2,245 living Americans carry the surname Alemu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,675 residents.
How common is Alemu?
Alemu ranks #14,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,958 people with the surname Alemu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Alemu.
Has Alemu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alemu went from 1,100 recorded bearers to 1,958. That is an increase of 858 (+78.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,185 to #14,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Alemu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alemu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%) and White (0.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alemu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (1,898 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alemu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.9%), Two or More Races (1.0%), White (0.9%). 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 Alemu (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 Alemu mean?
An Ethiopian surname of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a place name or given name. 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 Alemu (0.66 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 Alemu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.