2000
#50,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 390
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Alim
An Arabic surname meaning "learned" or "knowledgeable".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 912 Americans carry the last name Alim. That puts it at #31,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 375,827 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alim 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 Alim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
912
1 in 375,827
Census rank
#31,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
795
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 795 bearers of the surname Alim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and White (14.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alim
The surname "ALIM" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the Arab world, during the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "alim," which means "scholar" or "learned person." This name was likely given to individuals who were renowned for their knowledge and scholarly pursuits in various fields, such as religion, literature, or science.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "ALIM" can be found in medieval Islamic manuscripts and historical records from the 8th and 9th centuries. These documents often mention scholars and religious figures bearing this name, highlighting their contributions to the intellectual and cultural landscape of the time.
One notable figure from the 9th century was Abu Bakr al-Alim, a celebrated scholar of hadith (Islamic tradition) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). He was born in Baghdad around 810 CE and studied under renowned scholars of his time, eventually becoming a respected authority in his field.
In the 11th century, a renowned Persian scholar and poet named Abu'l-Ala al-Alim gained prominence for his work in the field of literature and philosophy. He was born in Merv (present-day Turkmenistan) in 1020 CE and is known for his intricate poetic style and philosophical writings.
During the 12th century, the name "ALIM" appeared in various historical records from the Islamic world, including the works of the renowned historian Ibn Khaldun. One prominent individual bearing this name was Shams al-Din al-Alim, a scholar of Islamic law and theology who lived in Damascus during the late 12th century.
As the Islamic civilization spread across various regions, the surname "ALIM" also found its way into different cultures and languages. For instance, in the Indian subcontinent, the name was adopted and adapted to local linguistic traditions, resulting in variations such as "Alam" and "Aalim."
One notable figure from the Indian subcontinent was Shah Waliullah al-Alim, a renowned Islamic scholar and reformer who lived in the 18th century. He was born in 1703 CE in Delhi and made significant contributions to the revival of Islamic thought and education in the region.
Throughout history, the surname "ALIM" has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields of knowledge, ranging from religion and philosophy to literature and science. While the name may have undergone minor variations in spelling or pronunciation across different cultures and regions, its essence remains rooted in the recognition of scholarly pursuits and intellectual achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alim
Among Census respondents with the surname Alim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and White (14.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Alim 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 Alim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.7% · 419
- Black or African American24.8% · 197
- White14.8% · 118
- Two or more races4.5% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alim
Alim 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
#42,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 513
+123 bearers (+31.5%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 8,058 places
2020
#31,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 795
+282 bearers (+55.0%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 11,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,366 | 390 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,308 | 513 | 0.17 | +123 bearers (+31.5%) | Up 8,058 places |
| 2020 | #31,239 | 795 | 0.27 | +282 bearers (+55.0%) | Up 11,069 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 Alim 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 | #42,308 | #31,239 | 26.2% |
| Count | 513 | 795 | 55.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.27 | 56.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alim bearers went from 513 to 795 (+55.0% change). The surname moved up 11,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,308 to #31,239.
FAQ
Alim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alim?
Name Census estimates that about 912 living Americans carry the surname Alim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 375,827 residents.
How common is Alim?
Alim ranks #31,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 795 people with the surname Alim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Alim.
Has Alim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alim went from 513 recorded bearers to 795. That is an increase of 282 (+55.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,308 to #31,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Alim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and White (14.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.7%), Black (24.8%), White (14.8%). 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 Alim (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 Alim mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "learned" or "knowledgeable". 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 Alim (0.27 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 common is the surname Alim?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Alim at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.