2000
#2,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.25
Uncommon Last name
Alaniz
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Alano, meaning "little Alan."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,221 Americans carry the last name Alaniz. That puts it at #2,233 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,811 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alaniz 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
18K
1 in 18,811
Census rank
#2,233
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,890 bearers of the surname Alaniz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2233rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alaniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alaniz
The surname Alaniz is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a habitational name derived from the place name "Alanís," a town in the province of Seville, Andalusia. The town's name is believed to have been derived from the Arabic word "al-'anis," meaning "the friendly one" or "the companion."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Alaniz can be found in medieval documents from the Kingdom of Castile. One notable example is Pedro Alaniz, a knight who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors during the 13th century. He was mentioned in chronicles as participating in the conquest of Seville in 1248.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Juan Alaniz, a celebrated poet and troubadour from Seville who lived in the late 14th century. His works, which were highly acclaimed during his lifetime, offer insights into the literary and cultural traditions of medieval Andalusia.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Alaniz surname spread throughout the Spanish Empire, with many bearers settling in the Americas. One prominent figure was Diego Alaniz (c. 1560-1635), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Chile and later served as a governor in the region.
In the realm of literature, Francisco Alaniz (1742-1810) was a prominent Spanish playwright and poet from Madrid. His works, which often satirized the social and political issues of his time, earned him widespread recognition and influence during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another noteworthy individual was María Alaniz (1825-1892), a renowned Spanish opera singer who achieved great success performing in major opera houses throughout Europe during the 19th century. She was particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of roles in operas by composers such as Verdi and Donizetti.
The Alaniz surname has a rich history spanning centuries, originating from a small town in Andalusia and eventually spreading across Spain and its territories. Its bearers have left their mark in various fields, from military conquest and literature to the performing arts, reflecting the cultural and historical diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alaniz
Among Census respondents with the surname Alaniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Alaniz 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 Alaniz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.9% · 14,609
- White7.0% · 1,111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 53
- Two or more races0.3% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 46
- Black or African American0.1% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alaniz
Alaniz 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
#2,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,596
+2,427 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 5.63
Rank movement Up 152 places
2020
#2,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,890
-706 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 5.32
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,341 | 14,169 | 5.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,189 | 16,596 | 5.63 | +2,427 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 152 places |
| 2020 | #2,233 | 15,890 | 5.32 | -706 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 44 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 Alaniz 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 | #2,189 | #2,233 | -2.0% |
| Count | 16,596 | 15,890 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.63 | 5.32 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alaniz bearers went from 16,596 to 15,890 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,189 to #2,233.
FAQ
Alaniz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alaniz?
Name Census estimates that about 18,221 living Americans carry the surname Alaniz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,811 residents.
How common is Alaniz?
Alaniz ranks #2,233 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,890 people with the surname Alaniz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Alaniz.
Has Alaniz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alaniz went from 16,596 recorded bearers to 15,890. That is a decrease of 706 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,189 to #2,233.
What does the Census say about the background of Alaniz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alaniz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alaniz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (14,609 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alaniz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.9%), White (7.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). 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 Alaniz (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 Alaniz mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname derived from the given name Alano, meaning "little Alan." 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 Alaniz (5.32 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 Alaniz?
See how many Americans have the surname Alaniz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.