2000
#7,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,223
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Penaloza
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Peñaloza, derived from peña, meaning "rock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,048 Americans carry the last name Penaloza. That puts it at #4,877 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Penaloza 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
8.0K
1 in 42,589
Census rank
#4,877
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,018 bearers of the surname Penaloza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4877th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Penaloza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Penaloza
The surname Penaloza is of Spanish origin, originating from the region of Castile in central Spain during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the toponym "Peñalosa," referring to a rocky or stony area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appears in historical documents from the Kingdom of Castile. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Peñalosa" or "Peñaloza."
In the 15th century, the Penaloza family was prominent in the region of Extremadura, located in western Spain. Historical records indicate that several members of the family held important positions within the local nobility and served as advisors to the Spanish monarchy.
One notable figure bearing the surname Penaloza was Juan de Penaloza (c. 1470-1528), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He played a crucial role in the fall of the Aztec Empire and later served as a colonial administrator in New Spain.
Another individual of historical significance was Alonso de Penaloza (c. 1540-1589), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led several expeditions into the interior of South America. He is credited with establishing the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in present-day Bolivia.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Penaloza surname spread throughout the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in areas like Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. This was likely due to the migration of individuals bearing the name as part of the colonization efforts.
In the realm of literature, one notable figure was the Mexican poet and writer Carlos Penaloza (1864-1928), known for his contributions to the modernist movement in Latin American literature. His works explored themes of identity, nationalism, and the indigenous cultures of Mexico.
Another prominent individual was the Argentine writer and politician Leopoldo Penaloza (1883-1962), who served as a congressman and actively advocated for workers' rights and social reforms in his country.
Throughout its history, the surname Penaloza has been associated with various prominent individuals across different fields, reflecting its Spanish origins and the spread of the name through the colonial activities of Spain in the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Penaloza
Among Census respondents with the surname Penaloza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Penaloza 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 Penaloza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.0% · 6,670
- White2.5% · 178
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 116
- Two or more races0.4% · 26
- Black or African American0.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Penaloza
Penaloza 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
#5,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,026
+2,803 bearers (+66.4%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Up 2,276 places
2020
#4,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,018
-8 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Up 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,279 | 4,223 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,003 | 7,026 | 2.38 | +2,803 bearers (+66.4%) | Up 2,276 places |
| 2020 | #4,877 | 7,018 | 2.35 | -8 bearers (-0.1%) | Up 126 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 Penaloza 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 | #5,003 | #4,877 | 2.5% |
| Count | 7,026 | 7,018 | -0.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.35 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Penaloza bearers went from 7,026 to 7,018 (-0.1% change). The surname moved up 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,003 to #4,877.
FAQ
Penaloza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Penaloza?
Name Census estimates that about 8,048 living Americans carry the surname Penaloza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,589 residents.
How common is Penaloza?
Penaloza ranks #4,877 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,018 people with the surname Penaloza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,048), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Penaloza.
Has Penaloza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Penaloza went from 7,026 recorded bearers to 7,018. That is a decrease of 8 (-0.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,003 to #4,877.
What does the Census say about the background of Penaloza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Penaloza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Penaloza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (6,670 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Penaloza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.0%), White (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Penaloza (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 Penaloza mean?
A Spanish habitational surname indicating someone from any of the various places named Peñaloza, derived from peña, meaning "rock." 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 Penaloza (2.35 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 Penaloza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.