2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arcena
A Spanish surname of possible Arabic origin, perhaps derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Arcena. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arcena 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.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Arcena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcena, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arcena
The surname Arcena originated in Spain during the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "arco," meaning "arch" or "bow," likely referring to a location or landmark featuring an archway or curved structure. The name may have been initially an occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked on arches or arched structures.
Arcena is thought to have roots in the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in parish records and municipal archives from these areas, dating back to the late 1400s and early 1500s. Variations in spelling, such as "Arçena" and "Arcenna," were common in earlier times.
One notable individual bearing the Arcena surname was Pedro Arcena, a Spanish architect and stonemason who lived in the late 16th century. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several churches and monasteries in Galicia, including the Monastery of San Martín Pinario in Santiago de Compostela, completed in 1592.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Arcena family settled in the Spanish colony of New Spain (present-day Mexico). Historical records show that Juan de Arcena, born in 1624 in Seville, Spain, migrated to Mexico City in the 1650s and established a successful textile trade business. His descendants continued the family's commercial endeavors in the region for several generations.
Another prominent figure with the Arcena surname was María Arcena, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the late 18th century. Born in Asturias in 1758, she gained recognition for her poetry collections and essays on literature and philosophy. Her works were widely circulated and praised by literary critics of the time.
In the 19th century, Tomás Arcena, a Spanish military officer and engineer, played a significant role in the construction of fortifications and defensive structures during the Carlist Wars in Spain. He served under General Rafael Maroto and was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several strategic forts and batteries.
While the Arcena surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, its earliest origins and documented historical references can be traced back to the regions of Galicia and Asturias in northwestern Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arcena
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcena, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Arcena 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 Arcena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- White0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arcena
Arcena appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Arcena 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 | #136,449 | #142,049 | -4.1% |
| Count | 123 | 120 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arcena bearers went from 123 to 120 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #142,049.
FAQ
Arcena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arcena?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Arcena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Arcena?
Arcena ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Arcena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Arcena.
Has Arcena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arcena went from 123 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Arcena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcena, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arcena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arcena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.8%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Arcena (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 Arcena mean?
A Spanish surname of possible Arabic origin, perhaps derived from a place name. 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 Arcena (0.04 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 Arcena?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.