Peña ( surname ) - wikipedia Peña ( surname ) de la Peña Origin Region of origin Castile Word / Name Old Spanish Meaning `` Cliff, Crag, Rock '' Footnotes : Frequency Comparisons : Peña or de la Peña is a Spanish habitation surname. The origin of the surname can be traced directly to the Middle Ages. The earliest public record of the surname dates to the 13th century in the Valley de Mena ( Burgos ) in the Kingdom of Castile. The origin of the last name is in present - day Galicia, Spain. The Peñas lived, originally, near a cliff or rocky land. Records indicate that the name derives from the Spanish word peña meaning `` rock, '' `` crag '' or `` cliff. '' The bearers of this surname proved their noble descent in the Order of Saint James of the Sword in 1626, 1629, 1651 and 1657 ; in the Order of Calatrava, in 1657, 1687, 1688, 1700 and 1785 ; in the Order of Alcántara in 1644 and 1693 and in the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III, in 1790 and 1838 ; and many times in the Royal Audiencia and Chancillería of Valladolid ; in the Royal Audience of Oviedo, in 1788 and 1795 ; and in the Royal Company of Midshipmen in 1767. The Peñas have a great presence in Mexico. There are two towns most notably that are full of Peña families. One is in the town called Talpa, Jalisco and the other is Las Varas, Nayarit. They have been known to be wealthy property owners. Contents 1 Notable Peñas 2 Holders of Spanish titles of nobility and lordships in the 21st century 3 Other 4 Further reading 5 References 6 External links Notable Peñas Main article : List of persons with the surname Peña Alejandro Peña Esclusa ( 1954 - ), Venezuelan leader of the NGO Fuerza Solidaria and president of the NGO UnoAmérica Alfredo Peña ( 1944 - ), Venezuelan journalist and politician Braulio Peña ( 1855 -- 1924 ), Colonel and important figure in Cuban independence from Spain Elizabeth Peña ( 1959 -- 2014 ), American actress Enrique Peña Nieto ( 1966 -- Present ), President of Mexico ( 2012 -- Present ) Enrique Peña Sánchez ( 1880 -- 1922 ), Cuban musician Federico Peña ( 1947 - ), American politician José Peña ( 1987 - ), Venezuelan steeplechaser José Francisco Peña Gómez ( March 6, 1937 -- May 10, 1998 ), Politician from the Dominican Republic, leader of the Dominican Revolutionary Party ( PRD ). Nicolás Rodríguez Peña ( 1775 -- 1853 ), businessman and politician, a key figure during the May Revolution in Argentina Manuel la Peña ( 1808 -- 1811 ), or Lapeña, was a Spanish military officer who served during the Peninsular War Miguel Peña ( 1781 - 1833 ), Venezuelan politician Pedro Pablo Peña Cañete ( 1864 -- 1943 ), President of Paraguay ( 1912 ) Tony Peña ( 1957 -- ), Dominican baseball player Horacio de la Peña ( 1966 - ), Argentinean tennis player José de la Peña y Aguayo ( 1801 -- 1853 ), Spanish lawyer, Member of Parliament and Lord Chancellor Manuel de la Peña y Peña ( 1789 -- 1850 ), interim president of Mexico from September to November 1847 and president from January 1848 to June 1848 Ramón María del Valle - Inclán y de la Peña, Marquess de Bradomin, ( 1866 -- 1936 ), Spanish dramatist, novelist and member of the Spanish Generation of 98 Ellen Hart Peña ( 1958 - ), American world - class runner and lawyer Luis Sáenz Peña ( 1822 -- 1907 ), President of Argentina ( 1892 -- 1895 ) Roque Sáenz Peña ( 1851 -- 1914 ), President of Argentina ( 1910 -- 1914 ) William Merriweather Peña ( 1919 - 2018 ), American architect Holders of Spanish titles of nobility and lordships in the 21st century People with surname de la Peña or Peña holding a title of nobility in Spain at present 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 William de la Peña Yappen, Marques of Villar del Águila ( Granted in 1689 ) Other Adarand Constructors v. Peña -- United States Supreme Court case Further reading Elenco de grandezas y títulos nobiliarios españoles 2006 Ampelio Alonso de Cadenas y López / Hidalguía Blasonario de la consanguinidad ibérica 1980 References Jump up ^ `` Peña Surname Meaning and Distribution ''. forebears.co.uk. Jump up ^ `` Peña family crest, coat of arms and name history ''. houseofnames.com. Retrieved December 5, 2015. External links 4crests.com : Peña Coat of Arms Surname list This page lists people with the surname Peña. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person 's given name ( s ) to the link. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Peña_ ( surname ) &oldid = 852208873 '' Categories : Surnames Spanish - language surnames Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2015 Articles with short description All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Edit links This page was last edited on 27 July 2018, at 10 : 17 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: where does the last name peña come from
Answer: the Spanish word peña meaning "rock," "crag" or "cliff."