2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Penafort
A surname derived from the Spanish words "peña" (rock) and "fuerte" (strong), possibly indicating someone who lived near a rocky stronghold.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Penafort. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Penafort 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Penafort in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Penafort, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Penafort
The surname PENAFORT is of Spanish origin, originating in the region of Catalonia during the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan words "pena" meaning "rock" or "crag" and "fort" meaning "strong" or "fortified". The name likely referred to a person who lived near or was associated with a fortified or rocky location.
The earliest known record of the name PENAFORT can be found in the 13th century, when a Catalan Dominican friar and canonist named Ramon de Penyafort (c. 1185-1275) rose to prominence. He is notable for his role in compiling the Decretals of Gregory IX, a significant collection of canon law texts.
Another prominent figure with the surname PENAFORT was Pedro de Penafort (c. 1265-1345), a Spanish jurist and diplomat who served as a councilor to King James II of Aragon. He played a crucial role in negotiating the Treaty of Anagni between Aragon and the Papacy in 1295.
In the 16th century, the PENAFORT name appears in records from the Spanish colonial territories in the Americas. One notable figure from this period was Diego de Penafort (c. 1530-1590), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who participated in expeditions to present-day Mexico and the southwestern United States.
The surname PENAFORT can also be traced to the Balearic Islands, off the eastern coast of Spain. In the 18th century, a prominent Mallorcan family bore this name, including Bartolomé Penafort (1714-1793), a renowned painter known for his religious works.
Another historical figure with the surname PENAFORT was José de Penafort (1773-1847), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as Minister of War during the Regency of Maria Cristina of Bourbon in the early 19th century.
While the PENAFORT surname originated in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the earliest and most historically significant records of this name can be found in the regions of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, reflecting its deep roots in Spanish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Penafort
Among Census respondents with the surname Penafort, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Penafort 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 Penafort surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.4% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.3% · 8
- White4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Penafort
Penafort 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-15 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 14,612 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 Penafort 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 | #135,593 | #150,205 | -10.8% |
| Count | 124 | 109 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Penafort bearers went from 124 to 109 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 14,612 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,205.
FAQ
Penafort surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Penafort?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Penafort. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Penafort?
Penafort ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Penafort. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Penafort.
Has Penafort become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Penafort went from 124 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Penafort?
Among Census respondents with the surname Penafort, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%) and White (4.6%). 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 Penafort in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Penafort appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.3%), White (4.6%). 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 Penafort (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 Penafort mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish words "peña" (rock) and "fuerte" (strong), possibly indicating someone who lived near a rocky stronghold. 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 Penafort (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 people are called Penafort?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Penafort at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.