2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Despenza
A Spanish surname derived from 'despensa', meaning pantry or larder, likely referring to an occupation or residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Despenza. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Despenza 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Despenza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Despenza, the largest self-reported group is Black at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Despenza
The surname DESPENZA has its origins in Spain, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "despensa," which means pantry or larder. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were responsible for managing or overseeing the storage and distribution of food supplies, potentially within noble households or large estates.
During the Middle Ages, the DESPENZA name appeared in various historical documents and records throughout the regions of Castile and Aragon. One notable early mention is found in the Libro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century legal document that recorded land ownership and privileges in the region of Old Castile.
In the 15th century, records show a Juan DESPENZA serving as a steward in the household of a prominent nobleman in the city of Seville. His duties likely included overseeing the pantry and managing the household's food supplies.
As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, some individuals bearing the DESPENZA surname accompanied the expeditions and settlements in the New World. One such individual was Diego DESPENZA, a soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
Another notable figure was Doña María DESPENZA, a wealthy landowner and benefactor who lived in the Spanish colonial city of Havana, Cuba, in the late 17th century. She is known for her generous donations to local churches and charitable organizations.
In the 18th century, a branch of the DESPENZA family settled in the Spanish colony of Louisiana, where they became prominent landowners and plantation owners. One member, Andrés DESPENZA (1742-1812), was a successful sugar planter and served as a local militia leader during the American Revolutionary War.
As the DESPENZA surname spread across Spain and its colonies, variations in spelling emerged, including DESPENCIA, DESPENSA, and DESPENSE. Additionally, some individuals adopted the name as a descriptive surname, reflecting their occupation or association with pantry or larder management, even if they were not directly related to the original DESPENZA lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Despenza
Among Census respondents with the surname Despenza, the largest self-reported group is Black at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Despenza 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 Despenza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American75.9% · 85
- White9.8% · 11
- Two or more races8.9% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Despenza
Despenza appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,441 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 Despenza 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 | #149,395 | #147,954 | 1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 112 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Despenza bearers went from 110 to 112 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,954.
FAQ
Despenza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Despenza?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Despenza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Despenza?
Despenza ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Despenza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Despenza.
Has Despenza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Despenza went from 110 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Despenza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Despenza, the largest self-reported group is Black at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (8.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Despenza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Despenza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (75.9%), White (9.8%), Two or More Races (8.9%). 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 Despenza (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 Despenza mean?
A Spanish surname derived from 'despensa', meaning pantry or larder, likely referring to an occupation or residence. 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 Despenza (0.04 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 Despenza?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.