2000
#19,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.47
Rare Last name
Aly
A surname derived from the given name Ali, which has Arabic origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,798 Americans carry the last name Aly. That puts it at #12,185 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,500 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aly 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Aly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,500
Census rank
#12,185
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,440 bearers of the surname Aly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12185th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aly, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aly
The surname Aly has its origins in the Middle East and is believed to be derived from the Arabic name Ali, which means "high" or "exalted." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 7th century CE, around the time of the Islamic conquests.
The name Aly is thought to have first emerged in the Arabian Peninsula and later spread to other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe through trade and migration. In some regions, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Ali or Aliyy.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Aly can be found in the works of medieval Islamic scholars and historians, who often mentioned individuals with this surname in their writings. For example, the renowned historian Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) mentioned several individuals with the surname Aly in his chronicles.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Ali ibn Abi Talib Aly (1090-1153) was a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian from Baghdad. He wrote extensively on various subjects, including law, philosophy, and theology.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Aly was particularly common among Turkish families. One prominent individual was Mustafa Aly (1541-1600), a renowned Ottoman architect who designed several historical mosques and buildings in Istanbul.
In the 19th century, Ismail Aly (1830-1895) was an Egyptian ruler and Khedive (viceroy) of Egypt and Sudan. He is remembered for his efforts to modernize and industrialize Egypt during his reign.
Another notable figure was Ameen Aly (1886-1962), an Egyptian lawyer and political leader who played a significant role in the Egyptian nationalist movement and the struggle for independence from British rule.
The surname Aly has also been found in various historical records across the Middle East and North Africa, including old manuscripts, tax records, and property deeds, further attesting to its long-standing presence in the region.
While the name Aly has its roots in the Arab world, it has since spread to other parts of the globe through migration and cultural exchange, becoming a part of the diverse tapestry of surnames worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aly
Among Census respondents with the surname Aly, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Aly 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 Aly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 1,826
- Black or African American8.8% · 214
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.1% · 174
- Two or more races4.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aly
Aly 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
#15,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,838
+560 bearers (+43.8%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 3,704 places
2020
#12,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,440
+602 bearers (+32.8%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 3,648 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,537 | 1,278 | 0.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,833 | 1,838 | 0.62 | +560 bearers (+43.8%) | Up 3,704 places |
| 2020 | #12,185 | 2,440 | 0.82 | +602 bearers (+32.8%) | Up 3,648 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 Aly 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 | #15,833 | #12,185 | 23.0% |
| Count | 1,838 | 2,440 | 32.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.82 | 31.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aly bearers went from 1,838 to 2,440 (+32.8% change). The surname moved up 3,648 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,833 to #12,185.
FAQ
Aly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aly?
Name Census estimates that about 2,798 living Americans carry the surname Aly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,500 residents.
How common is Aly?
Aly ranks #12,185 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,440 people with the surname Aly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,798), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Aly.
Has Aly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aly went from 1,838 recorded bearers to 2,440. That is an increase of 602 (+32.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,833 to #12,185.
What does the Census say about the background of Aly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aly, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%). 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 Aly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (1,826 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (8.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.1%). 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 Aly (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 Aly mean?
A surname derived from the given name Ali, which has Arabic origins. 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 Aly (0.82 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 share the surname Aly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.