2000
#4,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.99
Uncommon Last name
Urena
A Spanish habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Ureña, meaning "abundant spring."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,574 Americans carry the last name Urena. That puts it at #2,970 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,251 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Urena 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
14K
1 in 25,251
Census rank
#2,970
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,837 bearers of the surname Urena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2970th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Urena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Urena
The surname Urena originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "ureña," which refers to a thorny shrub commonly found in the region. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname or a reference to someone who lived near or worked with these shrubs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Urena can be found in the 13th-century manuscript "Libro de la Montería" by Alfonso XI of Castile, which mentions an individual named Rodrigo Urena. This indicates that the surname was already in use and well-established during that time period.
In the late 15th century, Juan de Urena served as a secretary to Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. This connection to the royal court suggests that the Urena family held a certain level of prominence and influence during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, several individuals with the surname Urena made significant contributions. One notable example is Pedro de Urena, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Francisco de Urena, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led expeditions to present-day Venezuela and Colombia in the mid-16th century. He is credited with establishing several settlements and laying the foundations for future Spanish colonization in those regions.
In the realm of literature, Juan de Urena, born in 1559, was a renowned Spanish poet and playwright during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. His works, including plays and sonnets, were widely celebrated and remain influential to this day.
Throughout history, the surname Urena has been associated with various influential individuals, ranging from conquistadors and explorers to scholars and artists. While its origins may be rooted in a humble reference to a plant, the name has since become a part of the rich tapestry of Spanish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Urena
Among Census respondents with the surname Urena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Urena 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 Urena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.2% · 11,271
- White3.4% · 399
- Black or African American0.6% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 59
- Two or more races0.2% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Urena
Urena 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
#3,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,066
+3,002 bearers (+37.2%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Up 791 places
2020
#2,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,837
+771 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Up 291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,052 | 8,064 | 2.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,261 | 11,066 | 3.75 | +3,002 bearers (+37.2%) | Up 791 places |
| 2020 | #2,970 | 11,837 | 3.96 | +771 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 291 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 Urena 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 | #3,261 | #2,970 | 8.9% |
| Count | 11,066 | 11,837 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.75 | 3.96 | 5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Urena bearers went from 11,066 to 11,837 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 291 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,261 to #2,970.
FAQ
Urena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Urena?
Name Census estimates that about 13,574 living Americans carry the surname Urena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,251 residents.
How common is Urena?
Urena ranks #2,970 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,837 people with the surname Urena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,574), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Urena.
Has Urena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Urena went from 11,066 recorded bearers to 11,837. That is an increase of 771 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,261 to #2,970.
What does the Census say about the background of Urena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Urena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Urena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (11,271 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Urena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.2%), White (3.4%), Black (0.6%). 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 Urena (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 Urena mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Ureña, meaning "abundant spring." 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 Urena (3.96 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 last name Urena?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Urena at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.