Find out how popular the last name Ted is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ted.

Ted, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ted surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Ted in America

Ted is the 65862nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ted surname appeared 281 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ted.

The history of the last name Ted

The surname Ted is an intriguing name with a relatively obscure origin compared to more common surnames. Ted is believed to have originated from England, emerging in the early Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The precise meaning of the name remains uncertain, but it is likely derived from an Old English personal name or nickname Tedda, which itself could be a diminutive form of Theodoric, meaning "people's ruler."

The earliest instances of the surname Ted can be traced back to medieval manuscripts where it was recorded in various forms. An example includes the name Tedda recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where Tedda was a tenant in Norfolk. This early appearance suggests that Ted might have been used to denote the descendants of Tedda.

In historical records, the name has appeared sporadically, suggesting it has always been relatively rare. One notable figure was John Ted, documented in 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. This record provides an early testament to the presence of the Ted surname in England during the 13th century.

Throughout history, the name Ted has also been linked with geographical locations. For instance, Edward Ted, registered in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, shows a geographic distribution of the name towards the southwestern parts of England. This record helps us understand how surnames were often tied to the regions families inhabited.

In the succeeding centuries, the surname Ted continued to appear in various historical documents, though less frequently. Another example is Thomas Ted, who was found in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379. These entries reinforce the idea that the surname Ted was scattered broadly across England and not confined to a single area.

One of the more recent historical figures with the surname Ted includes Robert Ted, born around 1580, mentioned in the parish registers of Suffolk. This later example shows the enduring nature of the surname through the centuries, even as it remained relatively uncommon.

The Ted surname continued to sparse out as time progressed, with individuals migrating and intermarrying, leading to occasional appearances in other parts of the British Isles. Historical references illustrate the persistence of the name across numerous centuries, preserving its legacy despite its rarity.

In sum, the surname Ted is historically rooted in medieval England, derived from an ancient personal name and scattered across different regions over time. While the surname did not proliferate widely, historical records from various periods attest to its presence and the lives of those who bore it. From Tedda in the Domesday Book to Robert Ted in the Suffolk parish registers, the surname Ted has left a faint but enduring trace in the annals of history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ted

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ted.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ted was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ted was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ted, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!