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

Terc, 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 Terc surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Terc in America

Terc is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Terc surname appeared 144 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Terc.

We can also compare 2010 data for Terc 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 Terc

The surname TERC is believed to have originated in Central Europe, specifically in the regions that are now part of Poland and Slovakia. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was likely derived from the Old Polish word "terk," which referred to a type of loud, percussive sound or noise.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the TERC surname appears in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Krakow, Poland. This document lists a certain Jan TERC, who was a blacksmith by trade. The surname may have been adopted as a reference to the loud clanging sounds associated with his profession.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the TERC name spread across various regions of Central and Eastern Europe. In the early 1700s, a notable figure named Wladyslaw TERC was a renowned clockmaker in the city of Lviv (then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility of the time.

In the late 18th century, the TERC surname can be found in several records from the town of Kosice, located in what is now eastern Slovakia. These records include mentions of a family of TERCs who were prominent landowners and farmers in the area.

The 19th century saw the birth of several notable individuals bearing the TERC surname. In 1812, Tomasz TERC, a Polish military officer, was born in the city of Warsaw. He fought in the November Uprising against the Russian Empire and later became a respected writer and poet.

Another prominent figure was Katarzyna TERC, born in 1839 in the town of Bielsko (now part of Poland). She was a pioneering educator and founded one of the first schools for girls in the region, breaking down traditional barriers and promoting equal access to education.

In the 20th century, the TERC surname continued to be found throughout Central and Eastern Europe. One notable individual was Stefan TERC, a Czech-born physicist who made significant contributions to the study of quantum mechanics. He lived from 1892 to 1962 and spent much of his career working in prestigious universities across Europe.

While the TERC surname may not be as widely recognized as some others, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from the arts and military to education and science.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Terc

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

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

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

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