2000
#89,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Algar
An English surname originating from an Old Norse personal name meaning "elf army".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 192 Americans carry the last name Algar. That puts it at #111,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,785,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Algar 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 Algar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
192
1 in 1,785,179
Census rank
#111,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 167 bearers of the surname Algar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Algar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Algar
The surname Algar has its origins in England, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Ælgær," which is composed of the elements "ael," meaning "elf," and "gær," meaning "spear." This name likely referred to a person who was skilled with a spear or was known for their prowess in battle.
The Algar surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use during the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Algar was Richard Algar, who lived in Wiltshire, England, during the 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Algar, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327.
The surname Algar is also associated with various place names in England, such as Algarkirk, a village in Lincolnshire, which was recorded as "Algare" in the Domesday Book. This place name likely refers to an early settler or landowner with the Algar name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Algar:
1. Sir Thomas Algar (1565-1636), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan.
2. John Algar (1737-1807), an English clergyman and mathematician who served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
3. William Algar (1824-1899), a British architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in Staffordshire.
4. Richard Algar (1876-1955), a British trade unionist and politician who served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Foundry Workers.
5. Joan Algar (1899-1972), an English artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraiture.
The Algar surname has endured through the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the Anglo-Saxon heritage of England. Its meaning and associations with spear-wielding warriors and place names have contributed to the rich tapestry of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Algar
Among Census respondents with the surname Algar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Algar 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 Algar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 6
- Two or more races3.6% · 6
- Black or African American1.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Algar
Algar 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
#107,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
-25 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 17,239 places
2020
#111,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
+1 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #89,895 | 191 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #107,134 | 166 | 0.06 | -25 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 17,239 places |
| 2020 | #111,996 | 167 | 0.06 | +1 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 4,862 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 Algar 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 | #107,134 | #111,996 | -4.5% |
| Count | 166 | 167 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Algar bearers went from 166 to 167 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 4,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #107,134 to #111,996.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Algar
FAQ
Algar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Algar?
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the surname Algar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,785,179 residents.
How common is Algar?
Algar ranks #111,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 167 people with the surname Algar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Algar.
Has Algar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Algar went from 166 recorded bearers to 167. That is an increase of 1 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #107,134 to #111,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Algar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Algar, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Algar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Algar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Hispanic (7.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Algar (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 Algar mean?
An English surname originating from an Old Norse personal name meaning "elf army". 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 Algar (0.06 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 are called Algar?
You can see how many people are called Algar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.