2000
#2,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,952
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.43
Uncommon Last name
Pence
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold pens.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,082 Americans carry the last name Pence. That puts it at #3,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,200 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pence 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 Pence with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,200
Census rank
#3,072
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,408 bearers of the surname Pence in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pence, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pence
The surname Pence is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "pens," meaning "thought" or "reflection." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century and was likely an occupational name for a scholar or someone engaged in intellectual pursuits.
During the Middle Ages, the name was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Pense."
In the 14th century, the name was also documented in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, where it was spelled "Pence." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.
The Pence surname can be traced back to various place names in England, such as Penshurst in Kent and Pensax in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "pens" and "hyrst," meaning "wooded hill," or "pens" and "ac," meaning "oak tree."
One notable historical figure with the surname Pence was Thomas Pence (c. 1608-1673), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to America and became one of the founders of the town of Newark, New Jersey.
Another prominent individual was John Pence (1718-1795), a surveyor and early settler in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the region during the 18th century.
In the literary world, the name Pence is associated with James Pence (1912-1996), an American novelist and short story writer known for his works set in the American West.
The Pence surname has also been linked to notable figures in the field of science. Albert Pence (1921-2005) was an American physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II.
Elizabeth Pence (1856-1936) was a pioneering American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded the first training school for kindergarten teachers in the United States and played a crucial role in promoting early childhood education.
While the surname Pence has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, thanks to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pence
Among Census respondents with the surname Pence, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pence 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 Pence surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 10,464
- Two or more races3.3% · 379
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 351
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
- Black or African American0.6% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pence
Pence 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
#2,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,101
+149 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 4.10
Rank movement Down 196 places
2020
#3,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,408
-693 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 3.82
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,769 | 11,952 | 4.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,965 | 12,101 | 4.10 | +149 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 196 places |
| 2020 | #3,072 | 11,408 | 3.82 | -693 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 107 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 Pence 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 | #2,965 | #3,072 | -3.6% |
| Count | 12,101 | 11,408 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.10 | 3.82 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pence bearers went from 12,101 to 11,408 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,965 to #3,072.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pence
FAQ
Pence surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pence?
Name Census estimates that about 13,082 living Americans carry the surname Pence. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,200 residents.
How common is Pence?
Pence ranks #3,072 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,408 people with the surname Pence. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,082), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Pence.
Has Pence become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pence went from 12,101 recorded bearers to 11,408. That is a decrease of 693 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,965 to #3,072.
What does the Census say about the background of Pence?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pence, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Pence in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (10,464 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pence appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Pence (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 Pence mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold pens. 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 Pence (3.82 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 common is the surname Pence?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Pence on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.