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

Tenas, 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 Tenas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tenas in America

Tenas is the 78316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tenas surname appeared 244 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 Tenas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tenas 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 Tenas

The surname TENAS is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "tena," which referred to a type of mud or clay found in certain regions of the country. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or worked with this particular type of soil.

In the 13th century, records show a family named Tenas residing in the town of Segovia, located in central Spain. This is one of the earliest known references to the name in written documents. The Tenas family was involved in pottery-making, which would align with the proposed connection to the word "tena" and its association with clay.

During the 15th century, a man named Juan Tenas was mentioned in historical accounts as a skilled artisan who specialized in creating intricate ceramic tiles for churches and noble residences in Seville. His work can still be seen in some of the city's most notable buildings, such as the Alcázar of Seville.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Alonso Tenas served as a military commander during the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He participated in several expeditions and battles, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.

In the 17th century, a scholar named Margarita Tenas made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. She worked alongside renowned scientists of her time and helped advance the understanding of celestial bodies and their movements.

In the 18th century, a poet named Francisco Tenas gained recognition for his lyrical works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and explored themes of love and loss. His poems were widely published and appreciated during his lifetime.

Over the centuries, the surname TENAS has also been associated with various place names in Spain, such as Tenas de Villalba and Tenas de Illescas, further solidifying its Spanish origins and geographical connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tenas

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!