2000
#9,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Delapena
From Spanish origins, referring to a person who lived near a rocky crag or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,827 Americans carry the last name Delapena. That puts it at #7,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,008 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delapena 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
4.8K
1 in 71,008
Census rank
#7,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,209 bearers of the surname Delapena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delapena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and White (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delapena
The surname DELAPENA has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a compound name, formed from the Spanish words "de la" meaning "of the" and "pena" meaning "rock" or "cliff." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or in a mountainous area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a 13th-century document detailing the distribution of land and properties in Seville following its reconquest from the Moors in 1248. The name appears as "De la Penna," a variant spelling that further reinforces the connection to the word "pena."
During the 15th century, the DELAPENA name gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, particularly in the cities of Seville and Cordoba. Records from this time indicate that members of the DELAPENA family held positions of influence, including landowners and municipal officials.
In the 16th century, Juan DELAPENA (1505-1567), a notable Spanish explorer and navigator, played a significant role in the colonization of the Americas. He was part of the expedition led by Hernán Cortés that conquered Mexico, and later served as a governor in various regions of present-day Mexico and Guatemala.
Another historical figure bearing the DELAPENA surname was María DELAPENA (1630-1702), a renowned poet and writer from Seville. Her works, which often explored themes of love and spirituality, were widely celebrated during the Spanish Golden Age.
In the 18th century, the DELAPENA name appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, with several individuals being tried and persecuted for their religious beliefs or practices. One such case involved Diego DELAPENA (1712-1785), a merchant from Cadiz who was accused of harboring Protestant sympathies.
During the 19th century, the DELAPENA family continued to maintain a presence in Spain, with several members achieving notable positions in academia, politics, and the military. One such figure was General Francisco DELAPENA (1825-1892), a decorated soldier who played a prominent role in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil conflicts in Spain during the 19th century.
As the DELAPENA name spread throughout Spain and beyond, it also underwent various spelling variations, including DELAPENNA, DELAPEÑA, and DELAPENHA, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the influence of other languages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delapena
Among Census respondents with the surname Delapena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and White (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Delapena 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 Delapena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino55.6% · 2,339
- Asian and Pacific Islander33.7% · 1,417
- White7.2% · 303
- Two or more races3.3% · 139
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delapena
Delapena 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
#8,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,051
+957 bearers (+30.9%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 1,452 places
2020
#7,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,209
+158 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 591 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,641 | 3,094 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,189 | 4,051 | 1.37 | +957 bearers (+30.9%) | Up 1,452 places |
| 2020 | #7,598 | 4,209 | 1.41 | +158 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 591 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 Delapena 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 | #8,189 | #7,598 | 7.2% |
| Count | 4,051 | 4,209 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.41 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delapena bearers went from 4,051 to 4,209 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 591 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,189 to #7,598.
FAQ
Delapena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delapena?
Name Census estimates that about 4,827 living Americans carry the surname Delapena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,008 residents.
How common is Delapena?
Delapena ranks #7,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,209 people with the surname Delapena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,827), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Delapena.
Has Delapena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delapena went from 4,051 recorded bearers to 4,209. That is an increase of 158 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,189 to #7,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Delapena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delapena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 55.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%) and White (7.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Delapena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (2,339 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delapena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (55.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (33.7%), White (7.2%). 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 Delapena (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 Delapena mean?
From Spanish origins, referring to a person who lived near a rocky crag or cliff. 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 Delapena (1.41 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 Delapena?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.