2000
#5,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,421
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Rare Last name
Arena
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone who lived near an arena or sandy place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,831 Americans carry the last name Arena. That puts it at #5,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arena 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 Arena with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,176
Census rank
#5,623
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,957 bearers of the surname Arena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arena, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arena
The surname Arena has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Latin word "arena," which means "sand" or "sandy area."
One theory suggests that the name Arena was initially given to families living near sandy areas or beaches, perhaps indicating their occupation or geographical location. Another possibility is that the name originated from a place name or topographical feature involving sand or sandy soil.
Historical records indicate that the Arena surname appeared in various documents in Sicily and Calabria as early as the 13th century. One notable early reference is found in the Sicilian tax rolls of 1283, where the name "Arenas" is mentioned.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Arena was Giovanni Arena, a Sicilian nobleman who lived in the late 14th century. Another prominent figure was Antonino Arena, a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Palermo, who lived from 1450 to 1521.
In the 16th century, the Arena family gained prominence in the city of Messina, Sicily. Pietro Arena (1510-1585) was a distinguished mathematician and astronomer from Messina, known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
During the 17th century, the Arena surname spread to other parts of Italy, including Naples and Rome. One notable figure was Gaspare Arena (1607-1668), a Neapolitan painter and engraver who specialized in religious and mythological scenes.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe Arena (1713-1784) was a celebrated architect from Sicily who designed several churches and other notable buildings in Palermo and surrounding areas.
As the Arena family expanded and migrated throughout Italy and beyond, they maintained their prominence in various fields, including the arts, sciences, and academia. While the name Arena has its roots in southern Italy, it has since become widely dispersed across the country and around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arena
Among Census respondents with the surname Arena, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Arena 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 Arena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 5,158
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 574
- Two or more races2.2% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 53
- Black or African American0.6% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arena
Arena 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
#5,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,706
+285 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Down 195 places
2020
#5,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,957
-749 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 414 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,014 | 6,421 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,209 | 6,706 | 2.27 | +285 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 195 places |
| 2020 | #5,623 | 5,957 | 1.99 | -749 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 414 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 Arena 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 | #5,209 | #5,623 | -7.9% |
| Count | 6,706 | 5,957 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 1.99 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arena bearers went from 6,706 to 5,957 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 414 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,209 to #5,623.
FAQ
Arena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arena?
Name Census estimates that about 6,831 living Americans carry the surname Arena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,176 residents.
How common is Arena?
Arena ranks #5,623 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,957 people with the surname Arena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,831), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Arena.
Has Arena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arena went from 6,706 recorded bearers to 5,957. That is a decrease of 749 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,209 to #5,623.
What does the Census say about the background of Arena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arena, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (5,158 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Arena (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 Arena mean?
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone who lived near an arena or sandy place. 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 Arena (1.99 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 Arena?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Arena on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.