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

Alhambra, 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 Alhambra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alhambra in America

Alhambra is the 85049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alhambra surname appeared 220 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 Alhambra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alhambra 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 Alhambra

The surname "Alhambra" originated in Spain during the Islamic rule of the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted from the 8th to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Arabic phrase "al-Qal'at al-Hamra," meaning "the Red Castle" or "the Red Fortress," referring to the famous Alhambra palace and fortress complex in Granada, Andalusia.

The Alhambra was a stunning example of Moorish architecture, built in the mid-14th century by the Nasrid dynasty. It was a symbol of the Islamic presence in Spain and a testament to the sophisticated culture and artistic achievements of the Moors. The name "Alhambra" likely emerged as a surname among the Spanish Muslim population living in or around the city of Granada during this period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Alhambra" can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Alfacar," a 16th-century document detailing the distribution of land and property in the village of Alfacar, near Granada, following the Spanish Reconquista in 1492. Several individuals with the surname "Alhambra" were listed as landowners or residents in this area.

Throughout the centuries, the Alhambra surname has been associated with notable individuals, such as Juan de Alhambra, a 16th-century Spanish painter known for his religious works in Granada and Cordoba. Another prominent figure was Diego de Alhambra, a 17th-century Spanish architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and monasteries in Andalusia.

In the 19th century, José Alhambra y Cubillas (1808-1878) was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament and played a role in the Carlist Wars. Additionally, Manuel Alhambra Martínez (1870-1924) was a Spanish writer and journalist renowned for his novels and short stories depicting the life and customs of the people of Andalusia.

Another notable figure was Mariano Alhambra y Montes (1877-1953), a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Mayor of Granada and later as a member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies. His son, Mariano Alhambra Lozano (1910-1981), followed in his footsteps and pursued a career in politics, serving as a senator and holding various positions in the Spanish government.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alhambra

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alhambra, 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!