Find out how popular the last name Alena is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alena.

Alena, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alena in America

Alena is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alena surname appeared 117 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alena.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alena to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alena

The surname Alena is of Italian origin, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "alena," meaning "breath" or "breeze." This surname is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Venice and Milan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Alena can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Verona, where it was spelled as "Allena." This document mentions a certain Guglielmo Allena, who was a merchant trading in silk and spices.

During the Renaissance era, the surname Alena gained prominence in the Italian city-states. In the 15th century, there are records of the Alena family residing in Florence, where they were involved in the textile trade. One notable figure from this time was Antonio Alena (1437-1512), a renowned weaver and fabric designer.

As the name spread across Italy, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Alenna" and "Alenna." In the 16th century, the Alena surname appeared in the coastal city of Genoa, where a branch of the family was engaged in maritime trade. One notable figure was Giacomo Alenna (1532-1602), a successful sea captain and explorer.

In the 17th century, the Alena surname made its way to the island of Sicily, where it was associated with the town of Palermo. A prominent figure from this period was Domenico Alena (1621-1687), a respected lawyer and judge who served in the court of the Spanish viceroy.

Throughout the centuries, the Alena surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and nobility. In the 18th century, Giovanni Alena (1712-1782) was a renowned painter from Milan, known for his religious works and portraits. Another notable figure was Tommaso Alena (1755-1822), a philosopher and writer from Naples who contributed to the Italian Enlightenment.

During the 19th century, the Alena surname continued to spread across Italy and beyond. One notable figure from this period was Luisa Alena (1845-1912), an Italian opera singer who performed in various theaters across Europe, including La Scala in Milan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alena

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alena.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alena was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alena has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alena was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alena, please contact us.

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