2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dalexander
A locative surname referring to someone from Alexandria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Dalexander. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dalexander 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Dalexander in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalexander, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dalexander
The surname DALEXANDER is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "dail Alastair," which translates to "the meadow of Alexander." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a specific location or landmark in Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DALEXANDER surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a series of financial records dating back to the 13th century. In these rolls, there is a reference to a man named Gillebride Dalexander, who is listed as a tenant in the county of Ayr in the year 1292.
Another notable early bearer of the DALEXANDER name was Robert Dalexander, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Archdeacon of Moray and was appointed as the Bishop of Ross in 1440. Robert Dalexander played a significant role in the ecclesiastical affairs of Scotland during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the DALEXANDER surname appears to have spread beyond Scotland. One prominent figure from this era was Sir William Dalexander, an English courtier and military leader who served under King Henry VIII. Sir William was born around 1488 and was known for his involvement in various military campaigns, including the Battle of Flodden in 1513.
Moving into the 17th century, one notable DALEXANDER was James Dalexander, a Scottish writer and philosopher. Born in 1615, James Dalexander authored several works on topics such as logic, metaphysics, and ethics. His most well-known work was "An Exposition of the Philosophical Principles of René Descartes," published in 1668.
Another prominent figure from the 17th century was Sir John Dalexander, a Scottish baronet and landowner. He was born in 1640 and inherited the baronetcy of Menstrie in 1672. Sir John Dalexander played an active role in local affairs and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament during his lifetime.
Throughout its history, the DALEXANDER surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Scotland, such as Dalexandria near Dumbarton and the village of Dalexandria in Argyll and Bute. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, further solidifying its Scottish origins and connections to specific geographic areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dalexander
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalexander, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dalexander 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 Dalexander surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dalexander
Dalexander 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,682 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 Dalexander 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 | #147,253 | #150,935 | -2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 108 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dalexander bearers went from 112 to 108 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,935.
FAQ
Dalexander surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dalexander?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Dalexander. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Dalexander?
Dalexander ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Dalexander. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Dalexander.
Has Dalexander become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dalexander went from 112 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Dalexander?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dalexander, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dalexander in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dalexander appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (9.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dalexander (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 Dalexander mean?
A locative surname referring to someone from Alexandria. 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 Dalexander (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 Americans have the surname Dalexander?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.