2000
#3,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,976
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Duenas
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places named Dueñas, meaning "owners" or "proprietresses."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,771 Americans carry the last name Duenas. That puts it at #2,565 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duenas 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
16K
1 in 21,733
Census rank
#2,565
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,753 bearers of the surname Duenas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2565th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duenas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.1%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duenas
The surname Duenas is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "dueñas," which means "ladies" or "mistresses." It likely emerged in the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive name for someone associated with noble or wealthy ladies, or as a locative name referring to a place called Dueñas.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Spanish historical documents and records from the 13th century onwards. One notable example is Pedro de Dueñas, a 13th-century Spanish poet and troubadour who is considered one of the earliest known poets to write in the Galician-Portuguese language.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the form "Dueñas" in the Libro de la Caza, a hunting treatise written by Juan de Dueñas for King Juan II of Castile. This work is considered one of the earliest examples of prose in the Spanish language.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the surname Duenas was carried across the Atlantic by Spanish settlers and conquistadors. One prominent figure was Ruy Díaz de Guzmán y Duenas, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and served as the first governor of the province of Tzolkin-Ah.
In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's famous novel Don Quixote. The character of Doña Rodríguez, the Duenna (or chaperone) of the Duchess, plays a significant role in the novel's second part.
Other notable individuals with the surname Duenas include:
1. Juan Duenas (1622-1693), a Spanish painter and artist from Madrid.
2. Antonio Duenas (1810-1868), a Spanish composer and musician known for his zarzuelas (Spanish opera).
3. Alejandro Duenas (1857-1924), a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1919 to 1920.
4. Juan Bautista Duenas (1749-1822), a Spanish-born Mexican architect known for his work on the Cathedral of Mexico City.
5. Emilio Duenas (1888-1948), a Spanish writer and journalist who was a member of the Generation of '98 literary movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duenas
Among Census respondents with the surname Duenas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.1%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Duenas 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 Duenas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.2% · 11,579
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.1% · 1,257
- White4.7% · 640
- Two or more races1.5% · 213
- Black or African American0.3% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duenas
Duenas 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
#2,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,736
+3,760 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Up 670 places
2020
#2,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,753
+17 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 4.60
Rank movement Up 62 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,297 | 9,976 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,627 | 13,736 | 4.66 | +3,760 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 670 places |
| 2020 | #2,565 | 13,753 | 4.60 | +17 bearers (+0.1%) | Up 62 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 Duenas 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 | #2,627 | #2,565 | 2.4% |
| Count | 13,736 | 13,753 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.66 | 4.60 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duenas bearers went from 13,736 to 13,753 (+0.1% change). The surname moved up 62 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,627 to #2,565.
FAQ
Duenas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duenas?
Name Census estimates that about 15,771 living Americans carry the surname Duenas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,733 residents.
How common is Duenas?
Duenas ranks #2,565 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,753 people with the surname Duenas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,771), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Duenas.
Has Duenas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duenas went from 13,736 recorded bearers to 13,753. That is an increase of 17 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,627 to #2,565.
What does the Census say about the background of Duenas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duenas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.1%) and White (4.7%). 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 Duenas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (11,579 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duenas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.1%), White (4.7%). 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 Duenas (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 Duenas mean?
A Spanish locational surname referring to someone from any of the numerous places named Dueñas, meaning "owners" or "proprietresses." 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 Duenas (4.60 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 people have the surname Duenas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.