2000
#1,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.41
Uncommon Last name
Alston
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "old town" or "Æthelstan's town" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,920 Americans carry the last name Alston. That puts it at #1,203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alston 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 Alston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,412
Census rank
#1,203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,708 bearers of the surname Alston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alston
The surname Alston has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ald" meaning old and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, referring to an old settlement or town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Alreston" or "Alreston super Montem," referring to the town of Alston in Cumbria, located in the North Pennines area of England.
The name Alston is closely associated with this town, which was known for its rich lead mining industry during the medieval period. Several historical documents mention individuals with the surname Alston who were involved in the mining and smelting of lead in the area.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Alston (c. 1285-1349), a prominent landowner and knight who served as the Sheriff of Northumberland during the reign of King Edward III. He was also involved in the military campaigns against Scotland during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the "Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem" from the 14th century, which recorded the transfer of lands and properties after the death of individuals. Several entries mention individuals with the surname Alston holding lands in various parts of England.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the University of Cambridge, with John Alston (c. 1420-1490) being a notable scholar and theologian who served as the Master of Christ's College.
The surname Alston also has a connection to the church, with several individuals bearing the name serving as clergymen. One notable example is Edward Alston (1598-1669), an English clergyman and theologian who was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the 17th century.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Alston continued to be well-represented in various professions and fields, including law, politics, and literature. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Thomas Alston (1670-1743), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament, and William Alston (1737-1805), a Scottish philosopher and writer.
Throughout its history, the surname Alston has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, reflecting its enduring presence and significance in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alston
Among Census respondents with the surname Alston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Alston 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 Alston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American77.0% · 22,093
- White13.7% · 3,925
- Two or more races5.2% · 1,497
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 994
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 88
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alston
Alston 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
#1,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,693
+2,604 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 10.41
Rank movement Down 8 places
2020
#1,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,708
-1,985 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 9.60
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,140 | 28,089 | 10.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,148 | 30,693 | 10.41 | +2,604 bearers (+9.3%) | Down 8 places |
| 2020 | #1,203 | 28,708 | 9.60 | -1,985 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 55 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 Alston 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 | #1,148 | #1,203 | -4.8% |
| Count | 30,693 | 28,708 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 10.41 | 9.60 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alston bearers went from 30,693 to 28,708 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,148 to #1,203.
FAQ
Alston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alston?
Name Census estimates that about 32,920 living Americans carry the surname Alston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,412 residents.
How common is Alston?
Alston ranks #1,203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,708 people with the surname Alston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,920), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Alston.
Has Alston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alston went from 30,693 recorded bearers to 28,708. That is a decrease of 1,985 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,148 to #1,203.
What does the Census say about the background of Alston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 77.0%. The next largest groups are White (13.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (22,093 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (77.0%), White (13.7%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Alston (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 Alston mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "old town" or "Æthelstan's town" in Old English. 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 Alston (9.60 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 are called Alston?
You can see how common the surname Alston is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.