2000
#12,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Tena
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tena, referring to someone from the Tena Valley in Aragón, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,871 Americans carry the last name Tena. That puts it at #9,258 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tena 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
3.9K
1 in 88,544
Census rank
#9,258
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,376 bearers of the surname Tena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9258th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tena
The surname TENA has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "tena," which means a large jar or vessel used for storing liquids such as wine or olive oil. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in the production or trade of these commodities.
The name is thought to have originated in the region of Navarre, located in northern Spain near the Pyrenees mountains. Early records from this area show variations in the spelling, such as "Tenna" and "Tina," which were likely influenced by regional dialects.
One of the earliest documented references to the TENA surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a medieval census compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document lists several individuals with the surname, indicating their presence in various towns and villages throughout the region.
In the 15th century, the TENA surname appears in records related to the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. Several individuals bearing this name are listed among the soldiers and settlers who helped establish Christian control over territories previously held by the Moors.
One notable figure from this period was Juan de TENA, a military commander who participated in the conquest of Granada in 1492, marking the end of the Reconquista. He was born in the town of Tafalla, Navarre, around 1450 and served under the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella.
Another prominent individual with the TENA surname was Pedro de TENA, a 16th-century scholar and theologian from Saragossa, Aragon. He authored several works on religious subjects and was renowned for his expertise in canon law.
In the 17th century, the TENA surname spread to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly Mexico and Peru. One notable figure from this era was Diego de TENA, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico in the 1520s.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable individual was Tomás de TENA, a Spanish navigator and explorer who led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and helped map out new trade routes for the Spanish empire.
Throughout the 19th century, the TENA surname continued to be present in various parts of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking regions of the Americas. One notable individual from this period was Manuel de TENA, a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States in the 1860s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tena
Among Census respondents with the surname Tena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tena 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 Tena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.9% · 3,000
- White5.4% · 182
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 119
- Black or African American1.2% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
- Two or more races0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tena
Tena 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
#9,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,279
+892 bearers (+37.4%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 2,144 places
2020
#9,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,376
+97 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,009 | 2,387 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,865 | 3,279 | 1.11 | +892 bearers (+37.4%) | Up 2,144 places |
| 2020 | #9,258 | 3,376 | 1.13 | +97 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 607 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 Tena 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 | #9,865 | #9,258 | 6.2% |
| Count | 3,279 | 3,376 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.13 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tena bearers went from 3,279 to 3,376 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 607 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,865 to #9,258.
FAQ
Tena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tena?
Name Census estimates that about 3,871 living Americans carry the surname Tena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,544 residents.
How common is Tena?
Tena ranks #9,258 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,376 people with the surname Tena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,871), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tena.
Has Tena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tena went from 3,279 recorded bearers to 3,376. That is an increase of 97 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,865 to #9,258.
What does the Census say about the background of Tena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (3,000 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.9%), White (5.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Tena (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 Tena mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tena, referring to someone from the Tena Valley in Aragón, 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 Tena (1.13 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 Tena?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.