2000
#19,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Teachout
A surname derived from the phrase "to teach out," likely referring to an educator or teacher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,460 Americans carry the last name Teachout. That puts it at #20,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 234,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Teachout surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 234,763
Census rank
#20,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,273 bearers of the surname Teachout in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Teachout, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Teachout
The surname "TEACHOUT" is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the early 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "teach" (meaning to instruct or guide) and "out" (meaning outside or beyond), suggesting that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone who taught or instructed others, particularly outdoors or in a location outside of a formal educational setting.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "TEACHOUT" can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chelmsford, Essex, England, where a baptismal entry dated 1542 mentions a John Teachout. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have been established in the region of Essex and the surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which were lists of individuals who took an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion and the English Parliament during the English Civil War. These records mention individuals with the surname "TEACHOUT" living in various counties across England, including Suffolk, Norfolk, and Somerset.
One notable figure bearing the name "TEACHOUT" was Thomas Teachout, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a landowner and farmer in the village of Somerby, Leicestershire, and his name is recorded in the Somerby Parish Registers between 1594 and 1625.
Another individual of historical significance was William Teachout, born in 1665 in the village of Buxted, Sussex. He was a prominent merchant and trader who established successful business ventures in London and played a role in the development of the city's commercial activities during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the 18th century, the name "TEACHOUT" appeared in various records related to the American colonies. One notable figure was John Teachout, born in 1732 in Dutchess County, New York. He was a farmer and landowner who participated in the American Revolutionary War as a member of the local militia.
Later, in the 19th century, the name "TEACHOUT" gained prominence in the field of education. One such individual was Sarah Teachout, born in 1825 in Ohio. She was a pioneering educator who established several schools for women and played a significant role in promoting educational opportunities for females in the mid-19th century.
Another noteworthy figure was Henry Teachout, born in 1842 in New York. He was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was actively involved in advocating for educational reforms and the expansion of public education during the latter half of the 19th century.
While the surname "TEACHOUT" is not among the most common surnames in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, particularly education and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teachout
Among Census respondents with the surname Teachout, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Teachout bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Teachout surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,147
- Two or more races4.6% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 7
- Black or African American0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Teachout
Teachout appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#20,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,308
+13 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 967 places
2020
#20,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,273
-35 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 671 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,355 | 1,295 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,322 | 1,308 | 0.44 | +13 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 967 places |
| 2020 | #20,993 | 1,273 | 0.43 | -35 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 671 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Teachout surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,322 | #20,993 | -3.3% |
| Count | 1,308 | 1,273 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.43 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Teachout bearers went from 1,308 to 1,273 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 671 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,322 to #20,993.
FAQ
Teachout surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Teachout?
Name Census estimates that about 1,460 living Americans carry the surname Teachout. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 234,763 residents.
How common is Teachout?
Teachout ranks #20,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,273 people with the surname Teachout. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,460), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Teachout.
Has Teachout become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Teachout went from 1,308 recorded bearers to 1,273. That is a decrease of 35 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,322 to #20,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Teachout?
Among Census respondents with the surname Teachout, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Teachout in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Teachout appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Teachout (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Teachout mean?
A surname derived from the phrase "to teach out," likely referring to an educator or teacher. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Teachout (0.43 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Teachout?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Teachout, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.