Find out how popular the last name Atienza is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Atienza.

Atienza, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Atienza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atienza in America

Atienza is the 16247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atienza surname appeared 1,777 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Atienza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atienza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Atienza

The surname Atienza originated in Spain during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Castilla-La Mancha. It is derived from the Spanish word "atienza," which means "attention" or "observance." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who were known for their attentiveness or diligence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Atienza can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript that documented the ownership of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Castile. The document mentions a place called "Atienza," which was likely the origin of the surname.

In the 15th century, a nobleman named Juan de Atienza served as the governor of the city of Alarcón in the province of Cuenca. His son, Pedro de Atienza, was a prominent figure during the reign of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, and played a significant role in the conquest of Granada.

Another notable bearer of the name Atienza was Fray Tomás de Atienza, a Spanish friar who lived in the 16th century. He was a member of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) and authored several religious works, including a book titled "Tratado de la Inmaculada Concepción de la Virgen Nuestra Señora" (Treatise on the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady the Virgin).

In the 17th century, a Spanish explorer named Juan de Atienza y Ibáñez participated in the colonization of the Philippines. He was appointed as the governor of the Mariana Islands, a Spanish colony in the Pacific Ocean, in 1684.

During the 19th century, a Spanish painter named José Atienza y Álvarez de Toledo gained recognition for his works depicting historical and religious scenes. He was born in Madrid in 1819 and died in the same city in 1885.

Throughout its history, the surname Atienza has been associated with various place names, such as Atienza (a municipality in the province of Guadalajara, Spain), as well as variations in spelling, including Atiença and Atienza y Ibáñez.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atienza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Atienza.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Atienza was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Atienza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Atienza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Atienza, please contact us.

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