2000
#284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98,345
First available Census row
Per 100,000 36.46
Common Last name
Pena
A Spanish and Portuguese surname referring to a person who lived near a cliff, rock, or boulder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 155,232 Americans carry the last name Pena. That puts it at #209 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 45.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,208 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pena 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 Pena with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
155K
1 in 2,208
Census rank
#209
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
45.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
135K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 135,370 bearers of the surname Pena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 45.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 209th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pena
The surname Pena is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the Iberian Peninsula during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "peña," which means "rock" or "cliff." The name likely originated from a descriptive nickname given to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or resided in an area known for its rocky terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pena surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a medieval census document compiled in the 14th century. This document listed individuals with the Pena surname residing in various regions of Castile, suggesting the name's widespread presence in the region during that time.
The Pena surname has also been documented in other historical records, such as the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of land and property in the city of Seville after its reconquest from the Moors. This document mentions several individuals bearing the Pena surname, indicating their presence in the region during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname Pena throughout history include Juan de la Pena (1513-1565), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico. Another notable figure is Gaspar de la Pena (1545-1612), a Spanish composer and organist who served at the court of King Philip II.
In the realm of literature, the Pena surname is associated with Juan de la Pena (1565-1624), a Spanish poet and playwright known for his contributions to the Spanish Golden Age of literature. Additionally, Francisco de la Pena (1610-1673) was a renowned Spanish architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Palacio de las Dueñas in Seville.
The Pena surname can also be traced to other regions of Spain, such as Catalonia, where it is sometimes spelled as "Peña." One notable figure from this region is Josep Peña y Casanovas (1877-1955), a Catalan painter and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from rural Catalan life.
Throughout history, the Pena surname has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Peñaranda de Bracamonte, a municipality in the province of Salamanca, and Peñafiel, a town in the province of Valladolid, both in Spain. These place names likely originated from the Spanish word "peña," further emphasizing the connection between the surname and its geological roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pena
Among Census respondents with the surname Pena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pena 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 Pena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.9% · 124,471
- White5.5% · 7,511
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 1,590
- Black or African American0.6% · 820
- Two or more races0.4% · 544
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 434
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pena
Pena 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
#227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130,776
+32,431 bearers (+33.0%)
Per 100,000 44.33
Rank movement Up 57 places
2020
#209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135,370
+4,594 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 45.29
Rank movement Up 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #284 | 98,345 | 36.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #227 | 130,776 | 44.33 | +32,431 bearers (+33.0%) | Up 57 places |
| 2020 | #209 | 135,370 | 45.29 | +4,594 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 18 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 Pena 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 | #227 | #209 | 7.9% |
| Count | 130,776 | 135,370 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 44.33 | 45.29 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pena bearers went from 130,776 to 135,370 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #227 to #209.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pena
FAQ
Pena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pena?
Name Census estimates that about 155,232 living Americans carry the surname Pena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,208 residents.
How common is Pena?
Pena ranks #209 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 45.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 45 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 135,370 people with the surname Pena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (155,232), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 45.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 45.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 45 of them to have the surname Pena.
Has Pena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pena went from 130,776 recorded bearers to 135,370. That is an increase of 4,594 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #227 to #209.
What does the Census say about the background of Pena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (124,471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.9%), White (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Pena (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 Pena mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname referring to a person who lived near a cliff, rock, or boulder. 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 Pena (45.29 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 surname Pena?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.