2010
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Alom
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "world" or "universe".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 355 Americans carry the last name Alom. That puts it at #68,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 965,505 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alom 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 Alom with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
355
1 in 965,505
Census rank
#68,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
310
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 310 bearers of the surname Alom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alom, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alom
The surname ALOM has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bengal. The name is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Alok," which means light or illumination. It is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The earliest known usage of the name ALOM can be traced back to the region of modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It was likely used as a descriptive surname, referring to individuals who were associated with light or illumination, either figuratively or literally.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ALOM can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions a person named Mir Alom, who held a prominent position in the imperial court.
Over the centuries, the name ALOM has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was Sheikh Faizullah Alom (1660-1730), a renowned Sufi saint and scholar from Bengal. He was known for his contributions to the spiritual and intellectual life of the region.
Another prominent figure with the surname ALOM was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958), a renowned Indian scholar, poet, and one of the leading figures of the Indian independence movement. He served as the first Education Minister of independent India and played a crucial role in shaping the country's educational policies.
In the field of literature, Abul Mansur Ahmed Alom (1943-2019) was a celebrated Bengali author and poet. His works explored themes of social injustice, poverty, and the struggles of the working class. He received numerous awards and honors for his literary contributions.
The name ALOM has also been associated with notable figures in the world of sports. One such individual was Alom Remeen Khaled (born 1983), a former Bangladeshi cricketer who represented the national team in both Test and One Day International matches.
In the realm of politics, Alom Shamsher Chowdhury (born 1942) was a prominent Bangladeshi politician and diplomat. He served as the Speaker of the National Parliament of Bangladesh and held various diplomatic positions, including serving as the Ambassador to the United States.
It is important to note that while the surname ALOM has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical significance and origins of this surname remain firmly rooted in the region of Bengal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alom
Among Census respondents with the surname Alom, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Alom 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 Alom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.9% · 285
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 14
- Two or more races2.6% · 8
- White1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alom
Alom appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#68,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 310
+171 bearers (+123.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 55,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #68,391 | 310 | 0.10 | +171 bearers (+123.0%) | Up 55,405 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 Alom 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 | #123,796 | #68,391 | 44.8% |
| Count | 139 | 310 | 123.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.10 | 107.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alom bearers went from 139 to 310 (+123.0% change). The surname moved up 55,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #68,391.
FAQ
Alom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alom?
Name Census estimates that about 355 living Americans carry the surname Alom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 965,505 residents.
How common is Alom?
Alom ranks #68,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 310 people with the surname Alom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Alom.
Has Alom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alom went from 139 recorded bearers to 310. That is an increase of 171 (+123.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,796 to #68,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Alom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alom, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Alom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (285 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Alom (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 Alom mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "world" or "universe". 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 Alom (0.10 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 Alom?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Alom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.