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

Peno, 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 Peno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Peno in America

Peno is the 46138th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Peno surname appeared 462 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 Peno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Peno to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Peno

The surname PENO has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the northern regions of Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged in the medieval period around the 11th or 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Latin word "pinna," meaning "feather" or "plume," and may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with feathery hair or linked to the plumage trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PENO surname can be found in the Becerro de Behetrias, a 14th-century Castilian manuscript that documented royal privileges and land ownership. This suggests that individuals bearing the PENO name had already established themselves as landowners or vassals by that time.

In the 15th century, the PENO surname appeared in various municipal records and census documents from cities like Seville and Cordoba, indicating its prevalence in Andalusia. Some notable individuals from this period include Pedro PENO, a merchant who traded with the Americas in the late 1400s, and Juana PENO, a wealthy landowner from Seville who bequeathed substantial property to the Church in her will dated 1487.

As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas during the 16th and 17th centuries, the PENO surname traveled with the conquistadors and settlers, establishing roots in the New World. One such individual was Diego PENO, a soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the 1520s.

In the 18th century, the PENO surname gained prominence in the arts and literature. Manuel PENO (1720-1789) was a celebrated Spanish painter known for his religious artworks, while José PENO (1745-1818) was a renowned poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the Spanish Golden Age of literature.

Moving into the 19th century, the PENO name was associated with several influential figures in politics and academia. Francisco PENO (1810-1876) was a respected lawyer and politician who served as a minister in the Spanish government, while Margarita PENO (1825-1901) was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in Spain.

Throughout its history, the PENO surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Penno, Penna, and Pinho, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of language over time. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct identity and cultural significance across generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Peno

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

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 Peno 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Peno has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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