2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arcenas
A surname of Spanish or Filipino origin, possibly derived from the Spanish word "arcén" meaning roadside or path.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Arcenas. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arcenas 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Arcenas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcenas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and White (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arcenas
The surname ARCENAS is believed to have its origins in Spain, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "arcenaz," which means "silver mining town." This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have hailed from or resided in a town or region associated with silver mining activities during that period.
Historical records indicate that the name ARCENAS appeared in various Spanish documents and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable mention can be found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla," a registry of land grants and property distribution in the city of Seville, which dates back to the 13th century. This suggests that individuals bearing the ARCENAS surname may have been among the early settlers or landowners in that region.
The earliest known individual with the surname ARCENAS was Juan de ARCENAS, a Spanish conquistador and explorer born around 1520. He is documented to have participated in expeditions to the Americas, including the conquest of Peru, and is believed to have played a role in the establishment of Spanish settlements in present-day Bolivia.
Another prominent figure with the ARCENAS surname was Alonso de ARCENAS, a Spanish poet and playwright who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, which included plays and poetry, were widely celebrated during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
In the 18th century, Pedro ARCENAS, a Spanish military officer, gained recognition for his role in the defense of the city of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) against British forces during the War of Jenkins' Ear. His bravery and strategic leadership were instrumental in repelling the British attack.
Moving forward to the 19th century, María ARCENAS, a renowned Spanish painter and portraitist, made significant contributions to the art world. Born in 1835, her works were widely acclaimed for their technical mastery and ability to capture the essence of her subjects.
Finally, in the early 20th century, José ARCENAS, a Spanish architect and urban planner, left a lasting legacy through his influential designs and contributions to the development of modern cities in Spain. His innovative approach to urban planning and architectural design earned him widespread recognition and admiration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arcenas
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcenas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and White (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arcenas 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 Arcenas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.5% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- White6.8% · 8
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arcenas
Arcenas 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,931 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,931 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 Arcenas 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 | #146,201 | #144,270 | 1.3% |
| Count | 113 | 117 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arcenas bearers went from 113 to 117 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,931 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #144,270.
FAQ
Arcenas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arcenas?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Arcenas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Arcenas?
Arcenas ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Arcenas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Arcenas.
Has Arcenas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arcenas went from 113 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Arcenas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arcenas, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and White (6.8%). 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 Arcenas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arcenas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.5%), Hispanic (7.7%), White (6.8%). 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 Arcenas (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 Arcenas mean?
A surname of Spanish or Filipino origin, possibly derived from the Spanish word "arcén" meaning roadside or path. 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 Arcenas (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 last name Arcenas?
Find out how many people are called Arcenas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.