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

Alers, 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 Alers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alers in America

Alers is the 22436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alers surname appeared 1,147 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 Alers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alers 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 Alers

The surname Alers has its origins in the Netherlands and dates back to the early 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "alders", which means "alder trees" or "alder groves". This suggests that the name was originally an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked with alder trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Alers can be found in Dutch records from the 1300s. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Jan Alers, a merchant from Amsterdam who lived in the late 15th century.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Alers name spread across the Netherlands and into other parts of Europe. Several members of the family were prominent in various fields, including politics and the military.

One notable figure was Jacob Alers, a Dutch military officer who served in the army of William III, Prince of Orange, during the late 17th century. He played a role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which saw William and Mary ascend to the English throne.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Alers name continued to be found across the Netherlands and parts of Germany. Pieter Alers (1709-1784) was a renowned Dutch painter and etcher known for his landscapes and cityscapes.

In the 19th century, some members of the Alers family emigrated to the United States and other parts of the world. One such individual was Hendrik Alers (1822-1901), a Dutch-born American businessman who founded the Alers Shipping Company in New York City.

Throughout its history, the Alers surname has also been associated with various place names and locations within the Netherlands. For example, the village of Alderswijk, which literally translates to "Alder's Village", likely had some connection to the Alers family in its origins.

While not a comprehensive list, these are a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the Alers surname throughout history, reflecting its Dutch roots and the family's presence in various spheres of society over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alers

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

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 Alers 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 Alers 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 Alers was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!