2000
#59,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 319
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Alworth
From an old English place name, meaning "old enclosure" or "old estate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 359 Americans carry the last name Alworth. That puts it at #67,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 954,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alworth 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
359
1 in 954,747
Census rank
#67,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
313
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 313 bearers of the surname Alworth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alworth
The surname Alworth has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words 'ald' meaning 'old' and 'worth' meaning 'an enclosed homestead or farm'. This suggests that the name refers to someone who lived at or near an old farmstead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions an individual named Ailword in Worcestershire. The spelling variations of the name during that era included Aldworth, Aldeworth, and Ayleworth.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various legal and manorial records across different counties in England. For instance, a Robert de Aldeworth was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1262. Similarly, a William de Aldworth was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.
The name Alworth is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Alworth (1490-1558), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1537. Another prominent individual was Robert Alworth (1568-1631), an English merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of several almshouses in Bristol.
In the 18th century, John Alworth (1720-1786) was a renowned English painter and engraver, known for his intricate landscapes and architectural scenes. Additionally, Thomas Alworth (1763-1839) was a British naval officer who participated in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Moving into the 19th century, Edward Alworth (1823-1893) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London. His contemporaries included Samuel Alworth (1838-1901), a scholar and author who wrote extensively on English literature and history.
Throughout its history, the surname Alworth has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Aldworth in Berkshire, Alworth in Gloucestershire, and Alworth in Somerset. These place names likely contributed to the development and spread of the surname across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alworth
Among Census respondents with the surname Alworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Alworth 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 Alworth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 289
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 10
- Two or more races3.2% · 10
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alworth
Alworth 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
#60,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
+17 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 752 places
2020
#67,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
-23 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 7,801 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,293 | 319 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,045 | 336 | 0.11 | +17 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 752 places |
| 2020 | #67,846 | 313 | 0.10 | -23 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 7,801 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 Alworth 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 | #60,045 | #67,846 | -13.0% |
| Count | 336 | 313 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.10 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alworth bearers went from 336 to 313 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 7,801 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,045 to #67,846.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Alworth
FAQ
Alworth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alworth?
Name Census estimates that about 359 living Americans carry the surname Alworth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 954,747 residents.
How common is Alworth?
Alworth ranks #67,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 313 people with the surname Alworth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Alworth.
Has Alworth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alworth went from 336 recorded bearers to 313. That is a decrease of 23 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #60,045 to #67,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Alworth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alworth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alworth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Alworth (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 Alworth mean?
From an old English place name, meaning "old enclosure" or "old estate". 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 Alworth (0.10 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 common is the surname Alworth?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Alworth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.