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

Penta, 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 Penta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Penta in America

Penta is the 23675th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Penta surname appeared 1,070 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 Penta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Penta 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 Penta

The surname Penta has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. The name can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "penta," which means "slope" or "incline," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived on or near a hillside.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Penta can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. However, the spelling and variations of the name during this time were slightly different, such as "Pente" or "Penti."

In the 13th century, the name Penta appeared in the "Statuti di Bergamo," a set of laws and regulations governing the city of Bergamo in northern Italy. This document mentions individuals with the surname Penta, indicating that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Penta. One of the earliest recorded figures was Giovanni Penta (c. 1380-1455), a renowned painter from the town of Novara in Piedmont. His frescoes can still be admired in various churches and buildings in the region.

Another notable figure was Francesco Penta (1534-1618), a Venetian architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Venice, including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe Penta (1816-1888) was an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy.

Mario Penta (1910-1992) was a prominent Italian physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and held teaching positions at various universities, including the University of Rome.

Additionally, Penta is also a place name in Italy. The town of Penta Campolongo, located in the province of Salerno, is believed to have derived its name from the surname Penta, further solidifying the connection between the name and the geographical features of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Penta

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

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

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

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