2000
#946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,914
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.57
Uncommon Last name
Terrell
Derived from a French place name meaning "stubble field," likely referring to a person who lived near one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,828 Americans carry the last name Terrell. That puts it at #1,013 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terrell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Terrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
39K
1 in 8,828
Census rank
#1,013
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,860 bearers of the surname Terrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1013th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terrell
The surname Terrell has its origins in Normandy, France, and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "terrelle," which means "a small piece of land" or "territory." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who owned or worked on a small plot of land.
The name first appeared in historical records in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was initially spelled as "Terrel" or "Terrell" in this document.
As the surname spread across Europe, it took on various spellings, including Terrell, Terrill, Tyrrell, and Turrell. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Walter Terrell, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Suffolk, England, for his service.
In the 13th century, the Terrell family established themselves in the county of Buckinghamshire, England, where they held the manor of Terrell's Manor. This manor was likely named after the family, further solidifying their connection to the land.
Another notable figure was Sir Roger Terrell, who lived in the 14th century and served as a member of the English Parliament. He played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
During the 16th century, the Terrell family gained prominence in Ireland, particularly in County Cork. One of the most famous members of this branch was Sir William Terrell, who served as the Mayor of Cork in 1586.
In the United States, the Terrell surname can be traced back to the early colonial period. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Captain William Terrell, who arrived in Virginia from England in the mid-17th century and became a prominent landowner and military leader.
Other notable individuals with the Terrell surname include Joseph Terrell, an American soldier and politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Georgia in the early 19th century, and Mary Church Terrell, an influential African American activist and educator who played a crucial role in the civil rights movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Terrell 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 Terrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.7% · 17,831
- Black or African American38.1% · 12,889
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,621
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 244
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 169
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terrell
Terrell 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
#983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,408
+1,494 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 12.00
Rank movement Down 37 places
2020
#1,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,860
-1,548 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 11.33
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #946 | 33,914 | 12.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #983 | 35,408 | 12.00 | +1,494 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 37 places |
| 2020 | #1,013 | 33,860 | 11.33 | -1,548 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 30 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 Terrell 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 | #983 | #1,013 | -3.1% |
| Count | 35,408 | 33,860 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 12.00 | 11.33 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terrell bearers went from 35,408 to 33,860 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #983 to #1,013.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Terrell
FAQ
Terrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terrell?
Name Census estimates that about 38,828 living Americans carry the surname Terrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,828 residents.
How common is Terrell?
Terrell ranks #1,013 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,860 people with the surname Terrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Terrell.
Has Terrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terrell went from 35,408 recorded bearers to 33,860. That is a decrease of 1,548 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #983 to #1,013.
What does the Census say about the background of Terrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Terrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (17,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.7%), Black (38.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Terrell (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 Terrell mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "stubble field," likely referring to a person who lived near one. 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 Terrell (11.33 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 Terrell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.