2000
#25,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Terrero
A surname derived from the Spanish word for land or terrain, possibly indicating an association with a specific area or occupation related to land ownership or management.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,023 Americans carry the last name Terrero. That puts it at #15,897 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,429 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terrero 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
2.0K
1 in 169,429
Census rank
#15,897
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,764 bearers of the surname Terrero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15897th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terrero
The surname TERRERO is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "terrero," which translates to "a person who works with earth or soil," potentially referring to an occupation such as a farmer or a laborer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TERRERO surname can be found in the archives of the Monastery of San Jerónimo in Seville, dating back to the 15th century. This record mentions a certain Pedro Terrero, a landowner and viticulturist from the town of Jerez de la Frontera.
In the 16th century, the TERRERO name gained prominence with the exploits of Hernán Terrero, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru. Terrero played a crucial role in the conquest of the Inca Empire and was later granted substantial land holdings in the region of Cusco.
During the 17th century, the TERRERO family established itself as a prominent landholding dynasty in the region of Extremadura. Notable members include Juan Terrero y Salamanca (1620-1692), a renowned military leader who served in the Thirty Years' War, and María Terrero y Vázquez (1645-1712), a philanthropist and benefactor of various religious institutions in the city of Badajoz.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Atlantic, the TERRERO surname also found its way to the Americas. One notable bearer was Gaspar Terrero (1725-1798), a wealthy plantation owner and influential figure in the governance of the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic).
In the 19th century, the TERRERO family left its mark in the field of literature with the renowned poet and essayist Juan Terrero y Calvo (1812-1879), whose works were celebrated for their lyrical grace and incisive social commentary.
While the TERRERO surname continues to be prevalent in Spain and Latin America, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration, carrying with it a rich history that spans centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terrero
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Terrero 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 Terrero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.6% · 1,686
- White3.1% · 54
- Black or African American1.1% · 20
- Two or more races0.2% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terrero
Terrero 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
#18,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,512
+584 bearers (+62.9%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 6,750 places
2020
#15,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,764
+252 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 2,429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,076 | 928 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,326 | 1,512 | 0.51 | +584 bearers (+62.9%) | Up 6,750 places |
| 2020 | #15,897 | 1,764 | 0.59 | +252 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 2,429 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 Terrero 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 | #18,326 | #15,897 | 13.3% |
| Count | 1,512 | 1,764 | 16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.59 | 15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terrero bearers went from 1,512 to 1,764 (+16.7% change). The surname moved up 2,429 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,326 to #15,897.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Terrero
FAQ
Terrero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terrero?
Name Census estimates that about 2,023 living Americans carry the surname Terrero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,429 residents.
How common is Terrero?
Terrero ranks #15,897 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,764 people with the surname Terrero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,023), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Terrero.
Has Terrero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terrero went from 1,512 recorded bearers to 1,764. That is an increase of 252 (+16.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,326 to #15,897.
What does the Census say about the background of Terrero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terrero, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Terrero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (1,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terrero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.6%), White (3.1%), Black (1.1%). 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 Terrero (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 Terrero mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word for land or terrain, possibly indicating an association with a specific area or occupation related to land ownership or management. 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 Terrero (0.59 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 are called Terrero?
Want to know how common the surname Terrero is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.