2000
#1,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.84
Uncommon Last name
Renteria
A Basque toponymic surname referring to someone from the village of Renteria in northern Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,832 Americans carry the last name Renteria. That puts it at #1,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,117 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Renteria 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
31K
1 in 11,117
Census rank
#1,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,887 bearers of the surname Renteria in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Renteria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Renteria
The surname Renteria originates from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France, where it emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the Basque words "errenta," meaning "income" or "revenue," and "erri," meaning "town" or "village." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who collected taxes or rents in a particular town or locality.
Renteria is closely related to the Basque place name Errenteria, a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. The earliest recorded mention of this town dates back to the 11th century, when it was referred to as "Villanueva de Errenteria" in a document from the Monastery of Leyre.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Renteria surname was Juan de Renteria, a 14th-century navigator and cartographer from the town of Errenteria. He is noted for his involvement in the exploration of the Canary Islands and the creation of maps and charts for Spanish seafarers.
In the 15th century, the name Renteria appeared in the census records of the province of Gipuzkoa, indicating its presence in the region. During this period, Pedro de Renteria, a merchant and shipowner from the town of Errenteria, played a role in the trade between Spain and the Americas.
The Renteria surname also found its way to the Americas during the Spanish colonial era. In the 16th century, Andrés de Renteria, a Spanish soldier and explorer, participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. He later settled in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and received land grants for his service.
Another notable figure bearing the Renteria surname was Juan de Renteria, a 17th-century architect and master builder who worked on several significant projects in Mexico City, including the construction of the Convent of La Encarnación and the renovation of the Metropolitan Cathedral.
As the Renteria surname spread throughout Spain and its colonies, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Rentería, Renteri, and Rentería y Guevara. Over time, individuals with this name have made contributions in various fields, including the arts, politics, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Renteria
Among Census respondents with the surname Renteria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Renteria 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 Renteria surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.0% · 25,286
- White4.7% · 1,275
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 101
- Black or African American0.3% · 88
- Two or more races0.3% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Renteria
Renteria 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
#1,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,976
+6,817 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 9.48
Rank movement Up 302 places
2020
#1,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,887
-1,089 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 9.00
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,558 | 21,159 | 7.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,256 | 27,976 | 9.48 | +6,817 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 302 places |
| 2020 | #1,281 | 26,887 | 9.00 | -1,089 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 25 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 Renteria 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 | #1,256 | #1,281 | -2.0% |
| Count | 27,976 | 26,887 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.48 | 9.00 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Renteria bearers went from 27,976 to 26,887 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,256 to #1,281.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Renteria
FAQ
Renteria surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Renteria?
Name Census estimates that about 30,832 living Americans carry the surname Renteria. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,117 residents.
How common is Renteria?
Renteria ranks #1,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,887 people with the surname Renteria. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,832), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Renteria.
Has Renteria become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Renteria went from 27,976 recorded bearers to 26,887. That is a decrease of 1,089 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,256 to #1,281.
What does the Census say about the background of Renteria?
Among Census respondents with the surname Renteria, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Renteria in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (25,286 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Renteria appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.0%), White (4.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). 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 Renteria (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 Renteria mean?
A Basque toponymic surname referring to someone from the village of Renteria in northern Spain. 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 Renteria (9.00 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 Renteria?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.