2000
#13,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,053
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Alfieri
An Italian occupational surname referring to a standard-bearer or flag-bearer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,529 Americans carry the last name Alfieri. That puts it at #13,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alfieri 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Alfieri with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,530
Census rank
#13,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,205 bearers of the surname Alfieri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfieri, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alfieri
The surname Alfieri originates from Italy and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Italian word "alfiere," which means "standard-bearer" or "flag-bearer." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals who carried the standard or banner during military campaigns or official ceremonies.
The earliest known record of the name Alfieri can be found in the historical documents of the city of Florence, Italy, dating back to the 13th century. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Alferio" or "Alfero," reflecting its Italian roots.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the surname Alfieri was Vittorio Alfieri (1749-1803), an Italian dramatist and poet. He is considered one of the founders of Italian tragedy and is renowned for his works such as "Saul" and "Mirra." His contributions to Italian literature and theater have left a lasting impact on the cultural heritage of Italy.
Another prominent individual with the surname Alfieri was Pietro Alfieri (1801-1863), an Italian politician and statesman. He served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1849 to 1852 and played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.
In the realm of art, the name Alfieri is associated with Benedetto Alfieri (1699-1767), an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed several notable buildings in Turin, including the Palazzo Reale and the Church of San Francesco da Paola.
The surname Alfieri also has connections to the military. One example is Cesare Alfieri (1838-1910), an Italian general who served in the Italian Army during the Risorgimento and later became a member of the Italian Senate.
Another figure of historical importance was Alessandro Alfieri (1834-1917), an Italian agronomist and politician. He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce in the Italian government and made significant contributions to the development of agricultural policies and practices in Italy.
While the surname Alfieri has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, military leaders, and academics, reflecting the diverse and rich history of this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alfieri
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfieri, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Alfieri 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 Alfieri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,016
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 99
- Two or more races2.6% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alfieri
Alfieri 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
#14,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,092
+39 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 740 places
2020
#13,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,205
+113 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 1,048 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,567 | 2,053 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,307 | 2,092 | 0.71 | +39 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 740 places |
| 2020 | #13,259 | 2,205 | 0.74 | +113 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 1,048 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 Alfieri 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 | #14,307 | #13,259 | 7.3% |
| Count | 2,092 | 2,205 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.74 | 3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alfieri bearers went from 2,092 to 2,205 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 1,048 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,307 to #13,259.
FAQ
Alfieri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alfieri?
Name Census estimates that about 2,529 living Americans carry the surname Alfieri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,530 residents.
How common is Alfieri?
Alfieri ranks #13,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,205 people with the surname Alfieri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Alfieri.
Has Alfieri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alfieri went from 2,092 recorded bearers to 2,205. That is an increase of 113 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,307 to #13,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Alfieri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfieri, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Alfieri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,016 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alfieri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Alfieri (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 Alfieri mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a standard-bearer or flag-bearer. 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 Alfieri (0.74 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 Alfieri?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.