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Pena Family History

Pena Surname Meaning

Spanish and Asturian-Leonese (Peña): topographic name for someone who lived near a crag or cliff from peña ‘rock boulder’ or a habitational name from any of numerous places called (La) Peña.

Compare De la Pena, De Pena, and Lapena. Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan: habitational name from any of numerous places called Pena or A Pena ‘rock boulder’.

Compare Lapena.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Pena family from?

You can see how Pena families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pena family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pena families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 8 Pena families living in Herefordshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Pena's in United Kingdom. Herefordshire and 1 other county had the highest population of Pena families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pena surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Pena ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Fruit Importer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pena. 100% of Pena men worked as a Fruit Importer and 60% of Pena women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Pena | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Fruit Importer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    60%
  • Private Means
    40%

What Pena family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 80,000 census records available for the last name Pena. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pena census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pena

Passenger Lists

There are 64,000 immigration records available for the last name Pena. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Pena immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Pena. For the veterans among your Pena ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pena military records

You've only scratched the surface of Pena family history

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What is the average Pena lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Pena life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Pena in 1941 was 44, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pena

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Pena ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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