2000
#19,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.47
Rare Last name
Atienza
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "to be attentive" or "mindful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,363 Americans carry the last name Atienza. That puts it at #14,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Atienza 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
2.4K
1 in 145,051
Census rank
#14,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,061 bearers of the surname Atienza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Atienza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Atienza
Among Census respondents with the surname Atienza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Atienza 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 Atienza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.3% · 1,716
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 132
- Two or more races5.8% · 120
- White4.3% · 89
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Atienza
Atienza 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
#16,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,777
+499 bearers (+39.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 3,290 places
2020
#14,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,061
+284 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 2,240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,537 | 1,278 | 0.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,247 | 1,777 | 0.60 | +499 bearers (+39.0%) | Up 3,290 places |
| 2020 | #14,007 | 2,061 | 0.69 | +284 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 2,240 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 Atienza 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 | #16,247 | #14,007 | 13.8% |
| Count | 1,777 | 2,061 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.69 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Atienza bearers went from 1,777 to 2,061 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 2,240 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,247 to #14,007.
FAQ
Atienza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Atienza?
Name Census estimates that about 2,363 living Americans carry the surname Atienza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,051 residents.
How common is Atienza?
Atienza ranks #14,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,061 people with the surname Atienza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Atienza.
Has Atienza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Atienza went from 1,777 recorded bearers to 2,061. That is an increase of 284 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,247 to #14,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Atienza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Atienza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Atienza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (1,716 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Atienza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.3%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Atienza (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 Atienza mean?
A surname of Spanish origin meaning "to be attentive" or "mindful". 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 Atienza (0.69 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 Atienza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.