2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Allegar
Of possible Middle English origin, an anglicized spelling of French "allèguer" meaning to allege or affirm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Allegar. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Allegar 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Allegar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Allegar, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Allegar
The surname Allegar is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in England or Scotland, during the medieval period around the 12th to 15th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English or Anglo-Norman French words "aleger" or "allegier," which mean "to lighten" or "to relieve." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who had a cheerful or lighthearted demeanor or perhaps to someone who provided relief or assistance to others.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Allegar can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record dating back to 1273. In this document, a person named William Alegar is mentioned as residing in the village of Wilburton. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301 list a Hugo Aleger as a taxpayer in the area.
During the late 13th and early 14th centuries, variations of the name such as Alegher, Alagher, and Alyghyr can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from different parts of England and Scotland. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
One notable individual with the surname Allegar was John Allegar, a merchant and ship owner who lived in the port city of Bristol, England, in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the lucrative trade with the Americas and the West Indies during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another individual of note was Robert Allegar, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, Scotland, from 1643 until his death in 1678. Allegar was known for his strong Presbyterian beliefs and his opposition to the episcopacy imposed by the Stuart monarchs.
In the 18th century, there was a Samuel Allegar who was a successful banker and financier in London. He was born in 1712 and was active in the city's financial sector until his death in 1789. Allegar was known for his astute business acumen and his involvement in various philanthropic endeavors.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was William Allegar, a British engineer and inventor who lived from 1812 to 1885. He is credited with several innovations in the field of textile machinery, including improvements to the power loom and spinning machinery. Allegar's inventions played a significant role in the growth of the industrial revolution in Britain.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, there was a Mary Allegar, a British suffragette and women's rights activist who was born in 1876 and lived until 1957. She was actively involved in the campaign for women's suffrage and was arrested multiple times for her participation in protests and demonstrations. Allegar was a vocal advocate for gender equality and played a crucial role in the fight for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Allegar
Among Census respondents with the surname Allegar, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Allegar 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 Allegar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 88
- Two or more races7.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Allegar
Allegar 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,099 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-21 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 19,099 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 16,112 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 Allegar 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 | #140,157 | #156,269 | -11.5% |
| Count | 119 | 98 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Allegar bearers went from 119 to 98 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 16,112 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #156,269.
FAQ
Allegar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Allegar?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Allegar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Allegar?
Allegar ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Allegar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Allegar.
Has Allegar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Allegar went from 119 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Allegar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Allegar, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Allegar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Allegar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Allegar (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 Allegar mean?
Of possible Middle English origin, an anglicized spelling of French "allèguer" meaning to allege or affirm. 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 Allegar (0.03 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 share the surname Allegar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.