Explore the Family Name Al
The meaning of Al
1. Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Adelhard, which is of ancient Germanic origin, composed of the elements adal ‘noble’ + hard ‘bold, hardy’. Compare Ale and Alma 4. 2. Swedish: variant of Ahl.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Al in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Al' has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Al' was ranked 41,522 in terms of popular surnames in the United States, with a total count of 494 individuals carrying this last name. By 2010, it's rank improved to 40,976 and the count increased by 7.69% to include 532 individuals bearing this surname. The proportion of individuals named 'Al' per 100,000 people remained steady at 0.18 from 2000 to 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,522 | #40,976 | 1.31% |
| Count | 494 | 532 | 7.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Al
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows changes in the ethnic identities associated with the surname 'Al'. In 2000, 20.04% of those with the surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, but this decreased by 36.23% by 2010. Those identifying their ethnicity as White increased from 35.63% in 2000 to 45.68% in 2010, a 28.21% change. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic went up by 11.60%, reaching 24.62% in 2010. Notably, individuals identifying as Black appeared in the 2010 data, making up 13.35% of the 'Al' surname holders, while there were none reported in 2000. The 'Al' surname showed no individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native for both years. Data for those identifying as two or more races was suppressed for the year 2010 for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 35.63% | 45.68% | 28.21% |
| Hispanic | 22.06% | 24.62% | 11.6% |
| Black | 0% | 13.35% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 20.04% | 12.78% | -36.23% |
| Two or More Races | 12.75% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |