2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alimena
A surname denoting an inhabitant of Alimena, a town in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Alimena. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alimena 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Alimena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alimena, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alimena
The surname Alimena originates from Sicily, Italy, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the name of the town of Alimena, located in the province of Palermo. The town's name itself is thought to have been derived from the Arabic phrase "al-ma'munah," meaning "the secure place" or "the protected place," reflecting its strategic location and fortifications during the period of Arab rule in Sicily.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Alimena can be found in the Sicilian Vespers, a series of uprisings against the Angevin French rulers of Sicily in 1282. Historical accounts mention individuals with the surname Alimena participating in these revolts, indicating the presence of the name in Sicily during that time.
In the 14th century, the surname Alimena appeared in a document from the town of Alimena itself, where a certain Giovanni Alimena was recorded as a landowner. This suggests that the surname had become well-established in the region by that point.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Alimena gained prominence with the rise of a noble family bearing the name. Vincenzo Alimena, born in 1520, was a renowned jurist and scholar who served as a legal advisor to the Spanish Crown during their rule over Sicily. His son, Gaspare Alimena (1560-1638), was a prominent poet and playwright, contributing to the flourishing of Italian literature during the Baroque era.
In the 18th century, the Alimena family continued to play a significant role in Sicilian society. Giuseppe Alimena (1715-1790) was a respected military leader who fought alongside the Spanish forces during the War of the Quadruple Alliance against the Austrians.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Alimena (1820-1892), a politician and statesman who served as a member of the Italian Parliament after the unification of Italy. He was instrumental in advocating for the rights and interests of the Sicilian people during the transition to a unified Italian state.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Alimena has also been associated with various artistic and cultural figures. Francesco Alimena (1875-1955) was a celebrated sculptor known for his monumental works, while Vincenzo Alimena (1890-1962) was a renowned painter whose works captured the beauty and essence of Sicilian landscapes.
While the surname Alimena may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since spread across Italy and beyond, carried by individuals who have contributed to various fields and left their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alimena
Among Census respondents with the surname Alimena, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Alimena 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 Alimena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino17.1% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alimena
Alimena 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,213 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-17 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,213 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 15,662 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 Alimena 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 | #137,327 | #152,989 | -11.4% |
| Count | 122 | 105 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alimena bearers went from 122 to 105 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 15,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #152,989.
FAQ
Alimena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alimena?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Alimena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Alimena?
Alimena ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Alimena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Alimena.
Has Alimena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alimena went from 122 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Alimena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alimena, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.1%). 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 Alimena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alimena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Hispanic (17.1%). 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 Alimena (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 Alimena mean?
A surname denoting an inhabitant of Alimena, a town in Sicily. 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 Alimena (0.04 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 have the last name Alimena?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Alimena? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.