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

Alyea, 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 Alyea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alyea in America

Alyea is the 37341st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alyea surname appeared 597 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Alyea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alyea 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 Alyea

The surname Alyea is believed to have originated from the northwestern regions of France, possibly in the areas of Normandy or Brittany, during the medieval period around the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "alie," meaning a path or passageway, suggesting that the name may have initially been a topographic descriptor for someone who lived near a particular path or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The surname is listed as "de Aleia," which further supports its French origins and connection to a geographic location.

During the Middle Ages, the name appears to have spread across Europe, with various spellings emerging in different regions. In England, the surname was sometimes written as "Alley" or "Allie," while in Germany, it took the form of "Alleya" or "Allhey."

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir John Alyea, a English knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Records indicate that he participated in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and was later granted lands in Gloucestershire for his military service.

Another prominent individual was William Alyea, a merchant and landowner from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to trade and property transactions in the city during that era.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records of early settlers in North America. One such individual was Thomas Alyea, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635 and later became a landowner and farmer in the colony.

During the American Revolutionary War, there was a Captain John Alyea who served in the Continental Army under General George Washington. He is recorded as having fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Trenton in 1776 and the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.

In the 19th century, a notable figure was Emily Alyea, an American educator and advocate for women's rights. Born in 1825 in New York, she co-founded the Ingham University in Le Roy, New York, one of the first institutions of higher education to admit women on an equal basis with men.

Throughout its history, the surname Alyea has maintained a presence in various parts of the world, with families bearing this name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, France, England, and Germany. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name has evolved and adapted over the centuries, reflecting the diverse journeys and experiences of those who have carried it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alyea

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!