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

Templeton, 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 Templeton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Templeton in America

Templeton is the 2687th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Templeton surname appeared 13,396 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Templeton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Templeton 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 Templeton

The surname Templeton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "temp(e)l" meaning "temple" and "tun" meaning "an enclosed piece of ground, a farm, or a village." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, referring to someone who lived near a temple or church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Templeton appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which mentions a Richard de Templeton. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to the name, suggesting its presence in different parts of England during that period.

The Templeton surname is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Templeton in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and Templeton in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots and may have contributed to the spread of the surname.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Templeton surname was Sir John Templeton (c. 1520-1594), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire. Another early bearer of the name was Robert Templeton (c. 1540-1613), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

During the 17th century, the Templeton surname gained prominence with individuals like Sir Thomas Templeton (1613-1675), an English politician and landowner from Staffordshire, and John Templeton (1630-1677), an English physician and author who wrote on medical topics.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with figures like John Templeton (1766-1825), a Scottish mathematician and writer, and Sir Emerson Templeton (1761-1835), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of the Irish Parliament.

As the surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it was carried by notable individuals like Charles Templeton (1915-2001), a Canadian evangelist, author, and journalist, and Sir John Templeton (1912-2008), an American-born British investor and philanthropist who established the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Templeton

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

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

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

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