Albemarle is a city in and the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,432 in the 2020 census. This p…Albemarle is a city in and the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,432 in the 2020 census. This place-name is derived from the English surname Albemarle. According to a 1905 publication by the United States Geologic Survey, based on research by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill history professor Kemp P. Battle, it was named specifically for General George Monck, the first Duke of Albemarle and one of the original proprietors of the colony of Carolina, which included the town.