2000
#14,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,864
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Teneyck
A Dutch surname derived from the term "ten eikel" meaning "the oak tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,094 Americans carry the last name Teneyck. That puts it at #15,455 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,684 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Teneyck 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
2.1K
1 in 163,684
Census rank
#15,455
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,826 bearers of the surname Teneyck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15455th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Teneyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Teneyck
The surname TENEYCK originated in the Netherlands, primarily in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. It traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, with the earliest known records dating from the 13th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "ten eycke," which translate to "at the oak" or "by the oak tree." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to a specific location or property near an oak tree or oak forest.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as land registry records and tax rolls from the region. One notable mention is found in a 1387 manuscript detailing a legal dispute over property ownership between a family bearing the TENEYCK surname and a neighboring landowner.
The earliest recorded individual with the TENEYCK surname was Dirk TENEYCK, born around 1320 in the town of Alkmaar, North Holland. He was a prosperous merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to reside in the region for several generations.
Another prominent figure was Willem TENEYCK (1452-1523), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Leiden. His literary works on religious philosophy and theology were widely circulated throughout Europe during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the TENEYCK surname spread beyond the Netherlands as some family members emigrated to other parts of Europe and the New World. One notable individual was Jan TENEYCK (1620-1687), a Dutch settler who established a successful trading company in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York).
During the 18th century, the name gained recognition in the field of art with the painter Cornelis TENEYCK (1705-1778). Born in Amsterdam, his paintings depicting landscapes and scenes of daily life in the Netherlands were highly acclaimed and can be found in several prominent museums across Europe.
Another prominent figure was Pieter TENEYCK (1789-1865), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the East Indies and the Pacific region. His detailed journals and maps contributed significantly to the geographical knowledge of the time.
Throughout its history, the TENEYCK surname has maintained a strong presence in the Netherlands, with various branches of the family holding prominent positions in business, academia, and public service over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teneyck
Among Census respondents with the surname Teneyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Teneyck 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 Teneyck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 1,623
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 93
- Two or more races2.5% · 46
- Black or African American2.2% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Teneyck
Teneyck 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
#15,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,908
+44 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 736 places
2020
#15,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,826
-82 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,634 | 1,864 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,370 | 1,908 | 0.65 | +44 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 736 places |
| 2020 | #15,455 | 1,826 | 0.61 | -82 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 85 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 Teneyck 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 | #15,370 | #15,455 | -0.6% |
| Count | 1,908 | 1,826 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.61 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Teneyck bearers went from 1,908 to 1,826 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,370 to #15,455.
FAQ
Teneyck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Teneyck?
Name Census estimates that about 2,094 living Americans carry the surname Teneyck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,684 residents.
How common is Teneyck?
Teneyck ranks #15,455 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,826 people with the surname Teneyck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Teneyck.
Has Teneyck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Teneyck went from 1,908 recorded bearers to 1,826. That is a decrease of 82 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,370 to #15,455.
What does the Census say about the background of Teneyck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Teneyck, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Teneyck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (1,623 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Teneyck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Teneyck (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 Teneyck mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the term "ten eikel" meaning "the oak tree". 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 Teneyck (0.61 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 common is the surname Teneyck?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Teneyck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.