2000
#82,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Peca
A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "stain" or "blemish."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 273 Americans carry the last name Peca. That puts it at #84,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,255,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peca 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
273
1 in 1,255,510
Census rank
#84,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
238
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 238 bearers of the surname Peca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 84785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peca, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peca
The surname PECA originated from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Portugal and Spain. Its roots can be traced back to the 13th century, deriving from the Latin word "pecus," which means "cattle" or "herd." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for those involved in the herding or tending of livestock.
During the medieval period, the PECA surname was prevalent in various regions of Portugal and Spain. Some of the earliest recorded instances can be found in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages) and the Chronica d'El-Rei D. Joao I (Chronicle of King John I).
One notable individual bearing the PECA surname was Pedro Peca, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in the late 15th century. Pedro Peca played a crucial role in charting the routes and documenting the expedition, contributing to the expansion of the Portuguese Empire during the Age of Discovery.
In Spain, the PECA surname was also present in various regions, particularly in Catalonia and Aragon. One prominent figure from this region was Juan Peca y Miró (1560-1628), a Catalan painter and artist known for his religious works and contributions to the Baroque style of the era.
Another individual of note was Antonia Peca (1682-1745), a Spanish writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Her poetry often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the complexities of human emotion.
The PECA surname can also be found in historical records from the Canary Islands, where it is believed to have been introduced by early settlers and colonists from the Iberian mainland. One such figure was Sebastián Peca (1701-1779), a prominent landowner and agriculturist who played a significant role in the development of the island's agricultural industry.
While the PECA surname has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and colonization. Over time, the name has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Pecca, Pecha, or Peca, but its origins and core meaning have remained largely intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peca
Among Census respondents with the surname Peca, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Peca 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 Peca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 204
- Hispanic or Latino10.5% · 25
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.3% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peca
Peca 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
#95,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
-22 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 13,096 places
2020
#84,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
+46 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 10,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,019 | 214 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,115 | 192 | 0.07 | -22 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 13,096 places |
| 2020 | #84,785 | 238 | 0.08 | +46 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 10,330 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 Peca 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 | #95,115 | #84,785 | 10.9% |
| Count | 192 | 238 | 24.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peca bearers went from 192 to 238 (+24.0% change). The surname moved up 10,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,115 to #84,785.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Peca
FAQ
Peca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peca?
Name Census estimates that about 273 living Americans carry the surname Peca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,255,510 residents.
How common is Peca?
Peca ranks #84,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 238 people with the surname Peca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Peca.
Has Peca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peca went from 192 recorded bearers to 238. That is an increase of 46 (+24.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,115 to #84,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Peca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peca, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Peca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (204 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (10.5%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Peca (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 Peca mean?
A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "stain" or "blemish." 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 Peca (0.08 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 Peca?
See how common the surname Peca is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.