2000
#10,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,778
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Terhune
Derived from the Dutch surname "ter Huen," meaning "at the hill" or referring to someone living on a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,109 Americans carry the last name Terhune. That puts it at #11,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,246 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terhune 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
3.1K
1 in 110,246
Census rank
#11,165
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,711 bearers of the surname Terhune in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terhune, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terhune
The surname Terhune is of Dutch origin and can be traced back to the 17th century in the Netherlands. It is derived from the Dutch phrase "ter hune," which means "at the corner" or "at the little house." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for a family or individual residing in a particular location or dwelling.
The earliest recorded instances of the Terhune surname can be found in Dutch records from the late 1600s. It is believed that some of the first individuals bearing this name migrated to the American colonies, particularly New Netherlands (present-day New York and New Jersey), during the 17th and 18th centuries.
One notable individual with the Terhune surname was Albert Payson Terhune, an American author and breeder of collies born in 1872. He is best known for his numerous books and stories featuring collies, including the famous novel "Lad: A Dog." Terhune's works played a significant role in popularizing the breed and promoting responsible dog ownership.
Another prominent figure was Mary Virginia Terhune, also known as Marion Harland, who was born in 1830. She was a prolific writer and editor, publishing numerous novels, cookbooks, and advice manuals. Terhune's works were widely read and influential during the late 19th century, particularly her contributions to domestic literature and women's issues.
In the 18th century, the Terhune name appeared in various historical documents and records related to the Dutch settlement of the New Netherlands region. For example, Johannes Terhune was listed as a landowner in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in the early 1700s, suggesting the family's early presence in the area.
Interestingly, the Terhune surname has also been linked to several place names in the Netherlands and the United States. In the Dutch province of Friesland, there is a village called Terhune, which may have influenced the origin or spelling of the surname. Additionally, there are places named Terhune in New Jersey and Indiana, likely named after early settlers with the Terhune surname.
Other notable individuals with the Terhune surname include William Terhune, a 19th-century American politician and judge from New Jersey, and John Terhune, a Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terhune
Among Census respondents with the surname Terhune, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Terhune 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 Terhune surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 2,384
- Two or more races4.4% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 86
- Black or African American2.7% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terhune
Terhune 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
#11,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,766
-12 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 812 places
2020
#11,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,711
-55 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,590 | 2,778 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,402 | 2,766 | 0.94 | -12 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 812 places |
| 2020 | #11,165 | 2,711 | 0.91 | -55 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 237 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 Terhune 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 | #11,402 | #11,165 | 2.1% |
| Count | 2,766 | 2,711 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.91 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terhune bearers went from 2,766 to 2,711 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 237 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,402 to #11,165.
FAQ
Terhune surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terhune?
Name Census estimates that about 3,109 living Americans carry the surname Terhune. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,246 residents.
How common is Terhune?
Terhune ranks #11,165 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,711 people with the surname Terhune. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Terhune.
Has Terhune become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terhune went from 2,766 recorded bearers to 2,711. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,402 to #11,165.
What does the Census say about the background of Terhune?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terhune, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (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 Terhune in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (2,384 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terhune appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (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 Terhune (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 Terhune mean?
Derived from the Dutch surname "ter Huen," meaning "at the hill" or referring to someone living on a hill. 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 Terhune (0.91 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 Terhune?
See how many people are called Terhune on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.