2000
#105,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Asenjo
A Spanish surname derived from a place name or someone from Asenjo/Asenxo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Asenjo. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asenjo 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Asenjo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asenjo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asenjo
The surname Asenjo has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word 'asno,' which means 'donkey' or 'ass.' This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with or cared for these animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Asenjo surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census-like document compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This record lists several individuals with variations of the surname, such as Asenjo and Asensio, living in various towns and villages across northern Spain.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Asenjo surname was Juan Asenjo, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Asenjo later settled in the Caribbean islands and is believed to have played a role in the early colonization efforts there.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Asenjo name appeared in various historical records and documents from regions across Spain, including Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. One notable example is Francisco Asenjo Barbieri (1823-1894), a Spanish composer and musicologist who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of traditional Spanish music.
Another individual of note was Soledad Asenjo (1865-1941), a Spanish educator and feminist who fought for women's rights and access to education. She established several schools for girls and advocated for women's suffrage and equal opportunities in Spain.
In the 20th century, the Asenjo surname continued to be represented by notable figures, such as Concha Asenjo (1898-1973), a Spanish actress and theater director who helped popularize avant-garde theater in Spain during the early part of the century.
While the name Asenjo is most commonly associated with Spain and its historical regions, it has also been carried to other parts of the world through emigration and migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asenjo
Among Census respondents with the surname Asenjo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Asenjo 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 Asenjo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.5% · 177
- White8.0% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asenjo
Asenjo 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
#105,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
+14 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 826 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+30 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 7,720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,905 | 156 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,079 | 170 | 0.06 | +14 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 826 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | +30 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 7,720 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 Asenjo 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 | #105,079 | #97,359 | 7.3% |
| Count | 170 | 200 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asenjo bearers went from 170 to 200 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 7,720 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,079 to #97,359.
FAQ
Asenjo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asenjo?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Asenjo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Asenjo?
Asenjo ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Asenjo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Asenjo.
Has Asenjo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asenjo went from 170 recorded bearers to 200. That is an increase of 30 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #105,079 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Asenjo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asenjo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Asenjo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asenjo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.5%), White (8.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Asenjo (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 Asenjo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from a place name or someone from Asenjo/Asenxo. 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 Asenjo (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Asenjo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.