2000
#9,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Terranova
An Italian surname referring to a person from Terranova, meaning "new land" in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,702 Americans carry the last name Terranova. That puts it at #9,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terranova 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
3.7K
1 in 92,586
Census rank
#9,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,228 bearers of the surname Terranova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terranova, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terranova
The surname Terranova has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian words "terra nova," which translates to "new land" or "new earth." This name likely originated during the Middle Ages, when there was a significant movement of people from the Italian mainland to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Terranova can be found in the Sicilian Monastic Records from the 14th century. These records document the presence of individuals with the surname Terranova in various monasteries and religious orders across the island.
Throughout the Renaissance period, the name Terranova gained prominence in the city of Palermo, where several notable individuals bore this surname. One such individual was Giovanni Terranova, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived in the late 15th century. His works can still be seen adorning various churches and public buildings in Palermo.
In the 17th century, the Terranova family established themselves as a prominent noble family in the town of Mistretta, located in the province of Messina, Sicily. This family played a significant role in the local politics and governance of the area during that time period.
Another notable figure with the surname Terranova was Francesco Terranova, a Sicilian philosopher and scholar who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his contributions to the field of natural philosophy and his writings on the relationship between science and religion.
As the Terranova surname spread beyond Sicily, it also gained recognition in other parts of Italy. In the 19th century, Giuseppe Terranova, a lawyer and politician from Calabria, played a pivotal role in the Italian unification movement, advocating for the unification of the various Italian states under a single kingdom.
Historically, variations of the Terranova surname have included spellings such as Terranuova, Terranuova di Brindisi (referring to the town of Terranuova Brindisi in Puglia), and Terranova di Sicilia (referring to the Sicilian origins of the name).
While the Terranova surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, the rich historical and cultural significance of this surname remains deeply rooted in the regions of Sicily and Calabria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terranova
Among Census respondents with the surname Terranova, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Terranova 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 Terranova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 2,869
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 256
- Two or more races1.9% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terranova
Terranova 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
#9,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,271
+20 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 658 places
2020
#9,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,228
-43 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,226 | 3,251 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,884 | 3,271 | 1.11 | +20 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 658 places |
| 2020 | #9,618 | 3,228 | 1.08 | -43 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 266 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 Terranova 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 | #9,884 | #9,618 | 2.7% |
| Count | 3,271 | 3,228 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.08 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terranova bearers went from 3,271 to 3,228 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 266 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,884 to #9,618.
FAQ
Terranova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terranova?
Name Census estimates that about 3,702 living Americans carry the surname Terranova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,586 residents.
How common is Terranova?
Terranova ranks #9,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,228 people with the surname Terranova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,702), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Terranova.
Has Terranova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terranova went from 3,271 recorded bearers to 3,228. That is a decrease of 43 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,884 to #9,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Terranova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terranova, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Terranova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (2,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terranova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (7.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Terranova (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 Terranova mean?
An Italian surname referring to a person from Terranova, meaning "new land" in Italian. 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 Terranova (1.08 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 people share the surname Terranova?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.