2000
#22,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,041
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Terra
An Italian and Spanish surname derived from the Latin "terra" meaning earth or land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,368 Americans carry the last name Terra. That puts it at #22,171 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 250,551 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terra 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
1.4K
1 in 250,551
Census rank
#22,171
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,193 bearers of the surname Terra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22171st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terra, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terra
The surname Terra originated from various regions of Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "terra," meaning "earth" or "land." This surname likely originated as a descriptor for individuals who lived near or worked on the land, possibly as farmers or landowners.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Terra surname can be found in the 14th century Venetian records. In 1376, a certain Giovanni Terra was mentioned in a document from the city of Venice. Additionally, the surname appears in several other Italian manuscripts and records from the 14th and 15th centuries, indicating its widespread use across various regions of the country.
The Terra surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such figure was Antonio Terra (1455-1522), an Italian painter and architect from the Renaissance era. He is renowned for his works in the city of Mantua, including the Chiesa di Sant'Andrea and the Palazzo Ducale.
Another prominent individual with the Terra surname was Girolamo Terra (1592-1676), an Italian mathematician and philosopher. He was a professor at the University of Padua and made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the study of algebraic equations.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe Terra (1715-1779) was a renowned Italian composer and violinist. He served as the music director at the court of the Duke of Modena and composed numerous operas and instrumental works that were highly regarded during his time.
Moving into the 19th century, Pietro Terra (1810-1891) was an Italian politician and statesman. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy, working closely with figures like Giuseppe Garibaldi and Giuseppe Mazzini.
While the surname Terra has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and significance of this surname within the Italian context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terra
Among Census respondents with the surname Terra, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Terra 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 Terra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 977
- Hispanic or Latino12.8% · 153
- Two or more races2.3% · 27
- Black or African American1.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terra
Terra 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
#22,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,124
+83 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 158 places
2020
#22,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,193
+69 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 620 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,949 | 1,041 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,791 | 1,124 | 0.38 | +83 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 158 places |
| 2020 | #22,171 | 1,193 | 0.40 | +69 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 620 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 Terra 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 | #22,791 | #22,171 | 2.7% |
| Count | 1,124 | 1,193 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.40 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terra bearers went from 1,124 to 1,193 (+6.1% change). The surname moved up 620 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,791 to #22,171.
FAQ
Terra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terra?
Name Census estimates that about 1,368 living Americans carry the surname Terra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 250,551 residents.
How common is Terra?
Terra ranks #22,171 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,193 people with the surname Terra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,368), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Terra.
Has Terra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terra went from 1,124 recorded bearers to 1,193. That is an increase of 69 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,791 to #22,171.
What does the Census say about the background of Terra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terra, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Terra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Hispanic (12.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Terra (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 Terra mean?
An Italian and Spanish surname derived from the Latin "terra" meaning earth or land. 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 Terra (0.40 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 Terra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.