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

Tenecela, 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 Tenecela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tenecela in America

Tenecela is the 57639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tenecela surname appeared 353 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 Tenecela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tenecela 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 Tenecela

The surname Tenecela has its origins in Spain, with the earliest known recorded examples dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "tenecela," which translates to "small holding" or "small farm." This suggests that the name was originally associated with individuals who owned or worked on small agricultural properties.

In the medieval period, the Tenecela name can be found in various historical records from the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura in southern Spain. One notable mention is in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a document that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in Seville after its conquest by the Christian forces in 1248. Here, the name appears as "Tenezela," an early spelling variation.

As time passed, the Tenecela surname spread to other parts of Spain, with some families migrating to the Americas during the colonial era. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World can be found in the baptismal records of the Church of San Miguel Arcángel in Puebla, Mexico, where a child named Juan Tenecela was baptized in 1612.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the Tenecela surname have made notable contributions. One such figure was Pedro Tenecela (1587-1654), a Spanish-born Catholic priest who served as a missionary in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and worked to establish churches and schools in various indigenous communities.

Another prominent bearer of the name was María Tenecela (1723-1802), a landowner and philanthropist from Seville, Spain. She is known for her generous donations to local charities and for funding the construction of a hospital in her hometown.

In the realm of literature, the Spanish poet and playwright Juana Tenecela (1832-1904) gained recognition for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience. Her collection of poems, "Cantos del Alma" (Songs of the Soul), was widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

Moving forward to the 20th century, Francisco Tenecela (1905-1987) was a renowned Spanish architect whose innovative designs left a lasting mark on the architectural landscape of Madrid. Some of his most notable works include the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo.

Finally, in the field of sports, Juan Tenecela (1948-2018) was a celebrated Spanish football player who represented several prestigious clubs, including Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, during his career in the 1960s and 1970s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tenecela

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

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

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

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