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

Alli, 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 Alli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alli in America

Alli is the 15236th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alli surname appeared 1,931 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Alli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alli 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 Alli

The surname ALLI is believed to have originated in India and can be traced back to the 9th century AD. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "ali," which translates to "beautiful" or "lovely." The name was initially found in the northern regions of India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

In the ancient Hindu scriptures, the name ALLI is mentioned as a feminine name, often associated with goddesses and deities revered for their beauty and grace. This connection to divinity and spirituality may have contributed to the name's adoption as a surname.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname ALLI can be found in the Khajuraho Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple inscriptions, dating back to the 10th century, include references to individuals bearing the name ALLI.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the surname ALLI was associated with individuals who held positions of authority and prestige. For instance, Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal, had a court minister named Mir Jumla Alli Khan (1609-1666).

In the 18th century, the name ALLI gained prominence in the region of Bengal, where it was associated with prominent figures in the literary and cultural spheres. One notable figure was Mir Mohammed Alli (1703-1786), a renowned poet and scholar of Persian and Arabic literature.

As the Indian diaspora spread across the globe, the surname ALLI traveled with them. In the 19th century, individuals with the surname ALLI can be found in various records and documents in countries such as South Africa and Mauritius, where Indian communities had established themselves.

Another notable figure was Sir Ardesir Alli (1865-1945), an Indian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Karachi, Pakistan. He was knighted by the British Empire in 1926 for his philanthropic efforts.

In more recent times, the name ALLI has gained recognition in the field of sports. One prominent example is Mohammed Alli (born 1942), an Indian field hockey player who represented India in multiple Olympic Games and was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alli

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alli, please contact us.

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