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

Alfonso, 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 Alfonso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alfonso in America

Alfonso is the 2927th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alfonso surname appeared 12,246 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Alfonso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alfonso 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 Alfonso

The surname Alfonso has its origins in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic name Alfons, which itself is a combination of the elements "alf" meaning "elf" and "naus" meaning "valiant" or "brave." The name was popularized in the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the region from the Moors.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alfonso can be found in the 13th-century Codex Calixtinus, a medieval manuscript chronicling the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. The document mentions a nobleman named Alfonso Fernández, who played a significant role in the expansion of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several historical documents from the Kingdom of Aragon, such as the Llibre de Priviliegis de la Ciutat de València, where it was often spelled as "Alonso." This variation was likely influenced by the local Valencian dialect.

During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Alfonso V of Aragon (1396-1458), also known as Alfonso the Magnanimous. He was a renowned patron of the arts and a significant figure in the Italian Renaissance.

In the 16th century, the explorer and conquistador Alfonso de Ojeda (1468-1515) played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas, leading expeditions to present-day Colombia and Venezuela.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284), also known as Alfonso the Wise. He was a prolific patron of literature and science, and his court was a center of intellectual activity, producing works such as the Libros del Saber de Astronomía and the Cantigas de Santa María.

The name Alfonso also has connections to various place names in Spain and Portugal. For instance, the town of Alfonso in the province of Valencia is believed to have been named after a notable local figure bearing the surname.

While the surname Alfonso has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread globally due to Spanish and Portuguese colonization and migration. Throughout history, it has been associated with numerous individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alfonso

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

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

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

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