de la Peña or Peña is a topographic surname originally given to someone living near a cliff. It is used in Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Galician names. It is the 2,469th most common surname in the world and is most prevalent in the United States.[1]

De la Peña
Origin
Meaning"Cliff, Crag, Rock; fortress or battlement"
Region of originBurgos, Castile

History

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The origin of the surname de la Peña (also Peña) is in present-day Galicia, Spain.[1] It derives from the word "penna," which typically describes a prominent rock or fortress.[2]

Notable people with the name

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  • Captain General Don Manuel la Peña fl.(1808–1811), sometimes referred to as Lapeña, was a Spanish military officer who served during the Peninsular War (Guerra de la Independencia Española).
  • Don Manuel de la Peña y Peña (1789–1850) was a Mexican politician and lawyer, interim president of Mexico from September to November 1847 and president from January 1848 to June 1848.
  • Don Lucas de Zafra-Vazquez y Tallada, de la Plaza y de la Peña, Marquess de los Arenales, Señor de Castril in Granada.
  • Don Ramón María del Valle-Inclán y de la Peña, Marquess de Bradomin, (1866–1936) was a Spanish dramatist, novelist and member of the Spanish Generation of 98.
  • Don Gaspar Castellano y de la Peña, Count de Castellano, was a Spanish author.
  • Don José González de la Peña y Rodríguez de la Encina, Barón de Forna (1887–1961) was a Spanish portrait painter and artist, and consul general of Spain in Venezuela.
  • Luis Sáenz Peña (1822–1907), President of Argentina (1892–1895)
  • Roque Sáenz Peña (1851–1914), President of Argentina (1910–1914)
  • Pedro Pablo Peña Cañete (1864–1943), President of Paraguay (1912)
  • Stefan de la Peña fl. (1969–2004), intellectual and philosopher of epistemology
  • Don Alfonso Peña Boeuf (1888–1966) was Minister of Transport in the Spanish Government (1938–1945) during the Francoist State
  • Don Ricardo Enrique Pallasa de la Peña III (1853–1898), Barón de Azucar and General of the Spanish Naval fleet in the Philippines (1893–1898)
  • Don Pedro Juan de la Peña (1855–1945), personal chef to King Alfonso XIII (1885-1905)
  • José Manuel Castañón de la Peña (1920–2001), was a Spanish writer born in Pola de Lena (Asturias) who lived in exile in Venezuela during the Francoist State.
  • Adam de la Peña, American voice actor, comedy writer, producer, and director.

Holders of Spanish titles of nobility in the 19th and 20th centuries

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People with the surname de la Peña or Peña who held a title of nobility in Spain in more recent years include:

  • Don Ramiro Pérez-Maura y de la Peña, Grandee of Spain, Duke de Maura and Count de Mortera (granted in 1930 and 1876 respectively)
  • Don Antonio González de Aguilar y de la Peña, Marquess de Arenal (granted in 1847)
  • Don Magín Peña y Lorca, Marquess de Ogijares (granted in 1889)
  • Doña Marina Peña y Paradela, Countess de Gaviria (granted in 1837)
  • Doña Helena de la Peña y Robles, Countess de Xauen (granted in 1929)
  • Doña Matilde Francisca Barriouevo y Peña, Vincountess de Barrionuevo (granted in 1891)
  • Don Reynaldo Enriques De la Pena, oldest son, last with royal family blood

Bibliography

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  • Elenco de grandezas y títulos nobiliarios españoles 2006 (Ampelio Alonso de Cadenas y López/Hidalguía)
  • Blasonario de la consanguinidad ibérica 1980
  1. ^ a b "Pena Surname Origin, Meaning & Last Name History".
  2. ^ "Pena Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Archived from the original on 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2021-04-11.