2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pensis
A locational surname derived from a place name in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Pensis. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pensis 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Pensis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pensis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pensis
The surname Pensis originated in France during the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "pense," which means "thought" or "contemplation." The name likely referred to a person who was known for their thoughtful or pensive nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pensis can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document contains references to individuals with the surname Pensis living in the region around Chartres, a city in northern France.
In the 14th century, the name Pensis appeared in historical records from the Duchy of Burgundy, which was then a powerful feudal state in eastern France. The town of Poncey-sur-l'Ignon, located in the modern-day department of Côte-d'Or, was once known as "Poncey-Pensis," suggesting a connection between the surname and this locality.
One notable individual with the surname Pensis was Jean Pensis, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. Pensis authored several works on religious subjects and was a member of the faculty at the University of Paris.
In the 16th century, a family bearing the name Pensis resided in the village of Sancerre, located in the Loire Valley region of central France. The Pensis family played a role in the local wine trade, which Sancerre is still renowned for today.
Another notable figure with the surname Pensis was Pierre Pensis, a French artist and engraver who was active in the early 17th century. Pensis is best known for his intricate engravings of architectural subjects and landscapes.
During the 18th century, the name Pensis appeared in records from the region of Normandy in northern France. One individual of note was Jacques Pensis, a merchant and trader who was born in Rouen in 1718 and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.
While the surname Pensis has its roots in France, it has also been documented in other parts of Europe over the centuries, likely due to migration and the spread of French culture and influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pensis
Among Census respondents with the surname Pensis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pensis 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 Pensis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pensis
Pensis 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,067 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 20,067 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 3,742 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 Pensis 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 | #147,253 | #143,511 | 2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 118 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pensis bearers went from 112 to 118 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 3,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #143,511.
FAQ
Pensis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pensis?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Pensis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Pensis?
Pensis ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Pensis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Pensis.
Has Pensis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pensis went from 112 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Pensis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pensis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pensis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pensis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Black (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Pensis (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 Pensis mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Italy. 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 Pensis (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 have the surname Pensis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.