2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Alofs
A Dutch surname derived from the biblical name Aloph, meaning "kin of a leader".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Alofs. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alofs 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Alofs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alofs, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alofs
The surname "ALOFS" is of Dutch origin, originating in the Netherlands during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch words "alo" meaning "all" and "of" meaning "or," indicating a person who was either all or everything.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname ALOFS can be traced back to the 15th century in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is mentioned in a document from 1487 that lists a certain Jan ALOFS as a landowner in the town of Alkmaar.
In the 16th century, the name ALOFS appears in several records of the Dutch East India Company, also known as the VOC. One notable figure was Pieter ALOFS, a merchant and ship's captain who was born in Amsterdam in 1562 and sailed extensively throughout the East Indies.
During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, the surname ALOFS was associated with several prominent figures in the arts and sciences. One such individual was Cornelis ALOFS, a renowned painter and engraver born in Delft in 1612. His works, which included landscapes and portraits, were highly regarded and can be found in various museums across Europe.
In the 18th century, the ALOFS surname gained recognition in the field of academia. Johannes ALOFS, born in Rotterdam in 1723, was a respected philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Leiden. His writings on metaphysics and ethics were widely read and influenced many scholars of his time.
Another notable figure from this period was Willem ALOFS, a Dutch military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in Haarlem in 1778, he rose through the ranks and played a pivotal role in several battles against the French forces, earning him various honors and distinctions.
In the 19th century, the ALOFS surname was associated with several industrialists and entrepreneurs. Dirk ALOFS, born in Amsterdam in 1825, was a successful businessman who established a thriving textile company that exported goods throughout Europe and the Americas.
As the Dutch colonial empire expanded, the name ALOFS also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 20th century, there were records of individuals bearing the surname ALOFS in Dutch colonies such as Indonesia and Suriname.
Throughout its history, the surname ALOFS has been represented in various fields, including art, academia, military, and business, reflecting the diverse talents and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alofs
Among Census respondents with the surname Alofs, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Alofs 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 Alofs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alofs
Alofs 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,083 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-16 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,583 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 12,083 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 15,583 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 Alofs 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 | #133,863 | #149,446 | -11.6% |
| Count | 126 | 110 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alofs bearers went from 126 to 110 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 15,583 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #149,446.
FAQ
Alofs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alofs?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Alofs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Alofs?
Alofs ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Alofs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Alofs.
Has Alofs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alofs went from 126 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Alofs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alofs, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alofs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alofs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Alofs (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 Alofs mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the biblical name Aloph, meaning "kin of a leader". 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 Alofs (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 Alofs?
Find out how common the surname Alofs is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.