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

Peñasánchez, 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 Peñasánchez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peñasánchez in America

Peñasánchez is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peñasánchez surname appeared 110 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 Peñasánchez.

The history of the last name Peñasánchez

The surname PENASANCHEZ is of Spanish origin, emerging in the late 15th century during the period of the Reconquista and the unification of Spain under the Catholic Monarchs. It is a compound surname combining the words "pena" and "Sanchez."

The first part, "pena," is derived from the Latin word "poena," meaning "punishment" or "penalty." This likely referred to an ancestor who either served a punishment or held a position related to administering punishments. The second part, "Sanchez," is a patronymic surname indicating the original bearer was the son of someone named Sancho, a common Spanish name derived from the Latin "Sanctius."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Archivo Histórico Nacional de España (National Historical Archive of Spain), where a certain Diego de Pena Sanchez is mentioned in a document dated 1492, the same year that Christopher Columbus embarked on his voyage to the Americas.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Juan de Pena Sanchez (1528-1601), a Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Juan de Oñate's expedition to what is now New Mexico in 1598. He is credited with mapping and charting significant portions of the Rio Grande River.

Another historical figure was María de Pena Sanchez (1602-1672), a Spanish nun and abbess who founded the Convent of Santa Catalina in Seville. Her writings on spiritual matters were widely read during her lifetime.

In the 18th century, Pedro de Pena Sanchez (1715-1789) was a prominent architect and urban planner who designed several churches and public buildings in Madrid and its surrounding areas.

During the Spanish Colonial period in the Americas, the surname also took root in various regions, such as Mexico and Peru. One notable bearer was José de Pena Sanchez (1775-1842), a Mexican military leader and politician who fought in the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule.

While these are just a few examples, the surname PENASANCHEZ has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be found in various regions where Spanish influence and settlement occurred.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peñasánchez

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

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 Peñasánchez 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 Peñasánchez was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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