Explore the Family Name Penilla

The meaning of Penilla

Spanish: habitational name from a place called La Penilla in Cantabria.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Penilla in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Penilla has risen in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name Penilla improved from 60,230th position in 2000 to 50,467th in 2010, presenting a significant change of 16.21%. Concurrently, the count of individuals bearing the Penilla surname also increased by 32.27%, from 313 to 414. This rise is reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which grew by 16.67% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#60,230#50,46716.21%
Count31341432.27%
Proportion per 100k0.120.1416.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Penilla

Regarding ethnic identity, the Penilla surname was largely associated with the Hispanic community, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Penillas identifying as Hispanic increased from 77.96% in 2000 to 82.13% in 2010, a change of 5.35%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Penillas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 22.41%, from 12.14% to 9.42%. The surname saw a decline in its association with the White ethnicity, dropping from 8.63% to 6.76%, a decrease of 21.67%. Interestingly, there was a small emergence of Penillas identifying with two or more races in 2010, at 1.45%, where there were none reported in 2000. There was no recorded change for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native during this period.

20002010Change
Hispanic77.96%82.13%5.35%
Asian/Pacific Islander12.14%9.42%-22.41%
White8.63%6.76%-21.67%
Two or More Races0%1.45%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%