2000
#7,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Alegria
A Spanish surname meaning "joy" or "happiness," derived from the Latin word "alacritas."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,239 Americans carry the last name Alegria. That puts it at #5,327 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alegria 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
7.2K
1 in 47,348
Census rank
#5,327
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,313 bearers of the surname Alegria in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5327th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alegria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alegria
The surname Alegria originates from Spain and Portugal, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "alegría," which means "joy" or "happiness." The name likely referred to someone with a joyful or cheerful disposition.
In Spain, the name Alegria can be traced back to the region of Castile, particularly the city of Valladolid. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the municipal archives of Valladolid from the late 1400s, where a certain Juan de Alegria is mentioned.
The Alegria surname also has roots in Portugal, where it was first documented in the northern region of Minho in the early 16th century. The town of Viana do Castelo was home to several families with the Alegria surname during this time period.
One notable figure with the Alegria surname was Pedro de Alegria, a Spanish navigator and explorer who sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Pedro de Alegria was born in Valladolid around 1470 and played a crucial role in the early exploration and colonization of the Caribbean islands.
Another prominent individual with the Alegria surname was Gaspar de Alegria, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Seville in 1574, Gaspar de Alegria traveled to the Philippines and Japan, where he worked tirelessly to spread Christianity and establish Jesuit missions.
In the 17th century, the Alegria surname also appeared in the records of the Portuguese colony of Brazil. One notable figure from this period was João de Alegria, a wealthy landowner and sugar plantation owner in the state of Pernambuco, born around 1620.
Another individual of note was María de Alegria, a Spanish noblewoman born in Valladolid in 1689. She was a prominent figure in the court of King Philip V and played a significant role in the cultural and artistic life of 18th-century Madrid.
Finally, in the 19th century, José Alegria was a renowned Portuguese painter and artist born in Lisbon in 1815. He is known for his portraits and landscapes, and his works are displayed in several museums and galleries throughout Portugal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alegria
Among Census respondents with the surname Alegria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Alegria 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 Alegria surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.3% · 5,701
- White6.6% · 419
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 89
- Two or more races0.8% · 51
- Black or African American0.5% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alegria
Alegria 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
#5,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,200
+1,794 bearers (+40.7%)
Per 100,000 2.10
Rank movement Up 1,404 places
2020
#5,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,313
+113 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Up 282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,013 | 4,406 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,609 | 6,200 | 2.10 | +1,794 bearers (+40.7%) | Up 1,404 places |
| 2020 | #5,327 | 6,313 | 2.11 | +113 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 282 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 Alegria 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 | #5,609 | #5,327 | 5.0% |
| Count | 6,200 | 6,313 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.10 | 2.11 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alegria bearers went from 6,200 to 6,313 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 282 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,609 to #5,327.
FAQ
Alegria surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alegria?
Name Census estimates that about 7,239 living Americans carry the surname Alegria. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,348 residents.
How common is Alegria?
Alegria ranks #5,327 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,313 people with the surname Alegria. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,239), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Alegria.
Has Alegria become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alegria went from 6,200 recorded bearers to 6,313. That is an increase of 113 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,609 to #5,327.
What does the Census say about the background of Alegria?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alegria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Alegria in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (5,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alegria appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.3%), White (6.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Alegria (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 Alegria mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "joy" or "happiness," derived from the Latin word "alacritas." 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 Alegria (2.11 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 have the last name Alegria?
If you just want to know how many people are called Alegria, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.