Find out how popular the last name Peñarrieta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Peñarrieta.

Peñarrieta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Peñarrieta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peñarrieta in America

Peñarrieta is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peñarrieta surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Peñarrieta.

The history of the last name Peñarrieta

The surname Penarrieta originates from the Basque region of Spain, specifically the province of Biscay. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Basque words "pen" meaning "rock" or "cliff" and "arrieta" meaning "small creek" or "stream," suggesting that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a rocky stream or a small creek.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Penarrieta can be found in the archives of the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, where a document from the year 1237 mentions a certain Lope Penarrieta, who was a landowner in the region. Another notable mention is in the historical records of the town of Bilbao, where a Sancho Penarrieta is listed as a prominent merchant in the 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Penarrieta family played a significant role in the maritime trade and exploration endeavors of Spain. Juan Penarrieta (1525-1602) was a renowned navigator and cartographer who accompanied various expeditions to the Americas and contributed to the mapping of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico regions. His son, Pedro Penarrieta (1562-1631), followed in his footsteps and served as a pilot on several voyages to the West Indies.

In the realm of arts and literature, the Penarrieta name is associated with Miguel Penarrieta (1667-1739), a celebrated playwright and poet from the Basque Country. His works, which included plays and poetry in both Basque and Spanish, were instrumental in preserving and promoting the Basque language and culture during a time when it faced suppression.

Another notable figure bearing the Penarrieta surname was Ignacio Penarrieta (1789-1868), a prominent lawyer and politician who played a crucial role in the drafting of the first Spanish constitution in 1812. He served as a deputy in the Cortes de Cádiz and was an advocate for liberal reforms and civil rights.

The Penarrieta name has also been associated with various place names in the Basque region, such as the town of Penarrieta in the municipality of Muskiz, which likely derived its name from the surname itself. Additionally, variations in spelling, such as Peñarrieta and Peñarreta, can be found in historical documents and records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peñarrieta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Peñarrieta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Peñarrieta was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Peñarrieta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Peñarrieta, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!