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Pena Family History

Pena Name 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: Penna, Pina, Perna, Tena, Pita, Pera, Seda, Lena, Cena, Penn

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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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 1911 there were 6 Pena families living in British Columbia. This was about 38% of all the recorded Pena's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Pena families in 1911.
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.

What did your Pena ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Pena. 34% of Pena men worked as a Farmer. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    34%
  • Labourer
    34%
  • Salesman
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Pena family tree

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