2000
#2,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,299
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.30
Uncommon Last name
Mena
A Spanish surname derived from the word "mena," meaning "mineral ore," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation in mining.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,956 Americans carry the last name Mena. That puts it at #1,746 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mena 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mena with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,931
Census rank
#1,746
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,019 bearers of the surname Mena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1746th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mena
The surname Mena is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "mina," which translates to "mine" or "mineral deposit," suggesting a connection to mining or mineral-rich regions.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Mena surname can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla," a 14th-century manuscript that documented land ownership and taxation in the Kingdom of Castile. This record indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Mena surname gained prominence in various parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile. It is associated with several notable figures from this era, such as Pedro de Mena (1628-1688), a renowned Spanish sculptor known for his exquisite religious works and considered one of the leading artists of the Baroque period in Spain.
Another prominent individual bearing the Mena surname was Juan de Mena (1411-1456), a renowned Spanish poet and author of the epic poem "El Laberinto de Fortuna" (The Labyrinth of Fortune). His work is considered a seminal piece of Spanish literature and played a significant role in the development of the Spanish literary tradition.
In the 18th century, the Mena surname appeared in records related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Tomás de Mena y Ramírez (1681-1755), a Spanish military officer and governor of Chile from 1734 to 1737. His tenure was marked by efforts to strengthen the colony's defenses and address conflicts with indigenous populations.
The name Mena is also found in other Spanish-speaking regions, such as Mexico and parts of Central America, likely due to the migration and settlement of Spanish colonists in these areas during the colonial period.
It is worth noting that variations of the Mena surname exist, including Menas, Menez, and Menez, reflecting regional linguistic influences and spelling variations over time. Additionally, the name may have connections to certain place names or geographic features, further reinforcing its ties to specific regions or localities within Spain and its former colonial territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mena
Among Census respondents with the surname Mena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mena 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 Mena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino90.7% · 18,158
- White7.0% · 1,402
- Black or African American1.0% · 210
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 139
- Two or more races0.3% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mena
Mena 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
#1,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,522
+5,223 bearers (+36.5%)
Per 100,000 6.62
Rank movement Up 485 places
2020
#1,746
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,019
+497 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 6.70
Rank movement Up 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,317 | 14,299 | 5.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,832 | 19,522 | 6.62 | +5,223 bearers (+36.5%) | Up 485 places |
| 2020 | #1,746 | 20,019 | 6.70 | +497 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 86 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 Mena 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 | #1,832 | #1,746 | 4.7% |
| Count | 19,522 | 20,019 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.62 | 6.70 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mena bearers went from 19,522 to 20,019 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,832 to #1,746.
FAQ
Mena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mena?
Name Census estimates that about 22,956 living Americans carry the surname Mena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,931 residents.
How common is Mena?
Mena ranks #1,746 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,019 people with the surname Mena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Mena.
Has Mena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mena went from 19,522 recorded bearers to 20,019. That is an increase of 497 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,832 to #1,746.
What does the Census say about the background of Mena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 90.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Mena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (18,158 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (90.7%), White (7.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Mena (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 Mena mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "mena," meaning "mineral ore," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation in mining. 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 Mena (6.70 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 common is the surname Mena?
Want to know how many people are called Mena? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.