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

Centeno, 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 Centeno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Centeno in America

Centeno is the 2488th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Centeno surname appeared 14,510 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Centeno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Centeno 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 Centeno

The surname Centeno originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "centeno," which means rye. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked with rye or lived in an area known for cultivating this crop.

The earliest recorded mention of the Centeno surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Castile, Spain. It appears in various medieval documents and records from that time period, such as land deeds and tax records.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Centeno surname was Pedro Centeno, a Spanish conquistador who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Villanueva de la Serena, Extremadura, Spain, around 1505 and played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of Peru.

Another notable figure was Diego Centeno, a Spanish soldier and explorer who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Villanueva de la Serena, Extremadura, Spain, around 1510 and participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro.

In the 17th century, Juan Centeno was a Spanish painter known for his religious works, particularly those depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. He was born in Seville, Spain, around 1620 and spent most of his career in that city.

During the 18th century, Gaspar Centeno was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who played a role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. He was born in Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain, around 1730 and served in the Spanish army in various campaigns in the New World.

In the 19th century, José Centeno was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer. He was born in Seville, Spain, in 1812 and served as a member of the Spanish parliament, representing the city of Seville.

Over the centuries, the Centeno surname has spread from Spain to various parts of the world, particularly Latin America, where it is still commonly found today. However, its origins can be traced back to the Spanish region of Castile and the Middle Ages, when it was likely associated with the cultivation of rye or those who worked with this crop.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Centeno

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

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 Centeno 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 Centeno 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 Centeno was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!