Serna last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Serna

A Spanish toponymic surname referring to someone living near a crag, cliff, or ridge.

Serna, 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 Serna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Serna in America

Serna is the 1390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Serna surname appeared 25,503 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Serna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Serna 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 1390 1662 -17.82%
Count 25,503 19,751 25.42%
Proportion per 100k 8.65 7.32 16.66%

The history of the last name Serna

The surname Serna has its origins in Spain and dates back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "sierra," which means a rugged mountain range or a saw. The name is believed to have originated from people who lived in or near the mountainous regions of Spain.

During the Middle Ages, the name Serna appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Becerro de Behetrías, a 14th-century manuscript that listed the names of landowners and their properties in the kingdom of Castile. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name include Juan de la Serna, a nobleman who lived in the 13th century, and Pedro Serna, a merchant who traded goods between Spain and Portugal in the late 15th century.

The name Serna has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this surname was Sebastián Serna, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another prominent figure was Miguel Serna, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the 17th century and was known for his religious artworks.

In the 19th century, Ignacio Serna (1801-1876) was a Mexican politician and military leader who played a significant role in the fight for Mexican independence. He served as the Governor of Jalisco and later became a General in the Mexican Army.

José Serna (1838-1899) was a Spanish painter and art professor who was renowned for his portraits and historical paintings. He taught at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid and influenced many artists of his time.

Gaspar Serna (1892-1957) was a Mexican writer and poet who was part of the literary movement known as the "Contemporáneos." His works, which often explored themes of love and existentialism, were highly regarded and earned him recognition as one of the most important poets of his generation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Serna

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

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 Serna was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 7.34% 1,872
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.24% 61
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.27% 324
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.34% 87
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.34% 87
Hispanic Origin 90.48% 23,075

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 Serna has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 7.34% 7.74% -5.31%
Black 0.24% 0.14% 52.63%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.27% 1.03% 20.87%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.34% 0.46% -30.00%
Two or More Races 0.34% 0.46% -30.00%
Hispanic 90.48% 90.18% 0.33%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Serna last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/serna-surname-popularity/.

"Serna last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/serna-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 October, 2024

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

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