Senez last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Senez

An occupational surname derived from the French word "sene", referring to a hemp worker or rope maker.

Senez, 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 Senez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Senez in America

Senez is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Senez surname appeared 104 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 Senez.

The history of the last name Senez

The surname Senez is believed to have originated in the Languedoc region of southern France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "senez," meaning "elder" or "wise one," suggesting that the name may have initially been given to someone who was respected for their wisdom and experience.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Senez can be found in the Livre Terrier de Trets, a land registry from the 14th century that documented landowners and their properties in the village of Trets, located near Aix-en-Provence. This document mentions a certain "Pierre Senez" as a landowner in the region.

The name Senez is also closely associated with the town of Senez, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of southeastern France. This town, which dates back to ancient Roman times, was once the site of a significant medieval bishopric, and it is possible that some early bearers of the surname Senez were connected to this religious center.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jean Senez (1515-1589) was a French Protestant theologian and philosopher who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in France. He was a vocal critic of the Catholic Church and wrote several influential works defending the Protestant cause.

Another historical figure with the surname Senez was Jacques Senez (1658-1734), a French architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais-Royal and the Hôtel de Ville.

Moving forward in time, a prominent bearer of the Senez name was Auguste Senez (1838-1916), a French painter and illustrator who was known for his genre scenes depicting everyday life in Paris. His works are held in the collections of several major museums, including the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Reims.

In the 20th century, Pierre Senez (1907-1987) was a French actor and theater director who made significant contributions to the development of modern French theater. He founded the renowned Théâtre de la Huchette in Paris, which remains an important venue for avant-garde and experimental productions to this day.

While the surname Senez is not among the most common in France, it has a rich history and can be traced back to the medieval period in the southern regions of the country, where it likely originated as a descriptive name reflecting wisdom and age.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Senez

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

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 Senez was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.19% 99
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 4.81% 5

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

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

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"Senez last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/senez-surname-popularity/.

"Senez last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/senez-surname-popularity/. Accessed 31 October, 2025

Senez last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/senez-surname-popularity/.

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