2000
#74,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Telkamp
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch words "tel" and "kamp," referring to someone who counted cattle or kept livestock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 287 Americans carry the last name Telkamp. That puts it at #81,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,194,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Telkamp 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
287
1 in 1,194,266
Census rank
#81,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 250 bearers of the surname Telkamp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Telkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Telkamp
The surname Telkamp is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Rhineland, specifically in the town of Telgte, located in the present-day state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "telte," which means "tent" or "dwelling," suggesting that the ancestors of those bearing this surname may have been tent-makers or lived in temporary structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the year 1389, where a person named Henrich Telkamp is mentioned. This document, now preserved in the archives of the city of Münster, provides evidence of the surname's existence during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Telkamp surname appears in the records of the town of Osnabrück, where a family of that name owned a substantial amount of land and was involved in agricultural activities. One notable member of this family was Johannes Telkamp, born in 1542, who served as a magistrate and played a significant role in the local administration.
Moving forward to the 17th century, the name Telkamp can be found in the records of the city of Hamburg, where a merchant named Hans Telkamp, born in 1612, established a successful trading company that dealt in textiles and other goods. His descendants continued the family business for several generations, contributing to the economic prosperity of the city.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Telkamp surname was Friedrich Telkamp, born in 1810 in the town of Soest. He was a renowned educator and writer who authored several books on pedagogy and educational reform. His works had a significant impact on the education system in Prussia and beyond.
Another prominent figure with the surname Telkamp was Wilhelm Telkamp, born in 1874 in the city of Cologne. He was a talented architect who designed several notable buildings in the region, including the Cologne Cathedral Library and the Wallraf-Richartz Museum. His architectural contributions played a vital role in shaping the city's skyline and cultural landscape.
While these are just a few examples, the Telkamp surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and regions within Germany. It is a name deeply rooted in the country's cultural and historical fabric, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne it over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Telkamp
Among Census respondents with the surname Telkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Telkamp 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 Telkamp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 229
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 12
- Two or more races3.2% · 8
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Telkamp
Telkamp 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
#75,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
+14 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 905 places
2020
#81,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
-7 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,505 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74,164 | 243 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,069 | 257 | 0.09 | +14 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 905 places |
| 2020 | #81,574 | 250 | 0.08 | -7 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 6,505 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 Telkamp 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 | #75,069 | #81,574 | -8.7% |
| Count | 257 | 250 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Telkamp bearers went from 257 to 250 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 6,505 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,069 to #81,574.
FAQ
Telkamp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Telkamp?
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the surname Telkamp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,194,266 residents.
How common is Telkamp?
Telkamp ranks #81,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 250 people with the surname Telkamp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Telkamp.
Has Telkamp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Telkamp went from 257 recorded bearers to 250. That is a decrease of 7 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #75,069 to #81,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Telkamp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Telkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Telkamp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (229 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Telkamp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Telkamp (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 Telkamp mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch words "tel" and "kamp," referring to someone who counted cattle or kept livestock. 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 Telkamp (0.08 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 Americans have the surname Telkamp?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.