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

Telfer, 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 Telfer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Telfer in America

Telfer is the 17572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Telfer surname appeared 1,600 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Telfer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Telfer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Telfer

The surname Telfer originated in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "telufer," meaning "dweller by the brook," referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Telfer dates back to the mid-12th century, when it appeared in the Registrum Vetus de Aberbrothoc, an ancient manuscript from the Abbey of Arbroath. The name was spelled "Teluerus" in this early record.

In the 13th century, the name Telfer was documented in various Scottish charters and land records, often associated with locations like Tevidale and Teviotdale, regions in the Scottish Borders where the name was particularly prevalent.

One notable historical reference to the Telfer surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name "Johannes de Telfer" is listed among those who submitted to the English monarch.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Telfer was Sir William Telfer (c. 1270 - 1335), a Scottish knight and landowner from Roxburghshire. He is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles for his role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

Another early bearer of the Telfer name was Robert Telfer (c. 1380 - 1452), a prominent merchant and burgess of Edinburgh in the 15th century. He served as a magistrate and was involved in the city's trade and governance.

The Telfer surname was also associated with the village of Telfer in Dumfriesshire, which likely took its name from the nearby Telfer Burn stream. This place name connection further reinforces the origin of the surname from a geographic location near a brook or stream.

In the 16th century, John Telfer (c. 1520 - 1585) was a notable Scottish clergyman and scholar. He was a professor of divinity at the University of St. Andrews and served as the Principal of St. Mary's College within the university.

Another prominent Telfer was Sir James Telfer (1618 - 1688), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and a Senator of the College of Justice in the latter part of the 17th century.

While the Telfer surname is most closely associated with Scotland, it has also spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, carried by migration and the movement of people over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Telfer

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

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 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Telfer 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Telfer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Telfer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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