Find out how popular the last name Terrier is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Terrier.

Terrier, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Terrier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Terrier in America

Terrier is the 107669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Terrier surname appeared 165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Terrier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Terrier to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Terrier

The surname Terrier has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "terrier," which means "a burrow" or "a hole in the ground." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a burrow or cave.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in various records and documents across northern France, particularly in regions like Normandy and Brittany. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include "Terier," "Terrieur," and "Terriere."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jehan Terrier, a landowner from the village of Ploërmel in Brittany, who was mentioned in a charter dated 1256. Another early reference can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Redon, a medieval manuscript that includes the name Renaud Terrier from the year 1287.

In the 14th century, the name Terrier appeared in the Domesday Book, a valuable record of landowners and tenants in medieval England. This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have migrated from France to England during the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the surname Terrier throughout history include:

1. Jean-Baptiste Terrier (1610-1675), a French Jesuit priest and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of optics.

2. Marie-Joseph Terrier (1738-1810), a French architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Lyon, including the Hôtel-Dieu hospital.

3. Guillaume Terrier (1832-1905), a Swiss engineer and inventor credited with developing the first successful mechanical rock drill.

4. Émile Terrier (1856-1920), a French general who served during World War I and played a crucial role in the Battle of Verdun.

5. Jacqueline Terrier (1930-2022), a French actress and singer known for her roles in numerous films and stage productions throughout the 20th century.

The name Terrier has also been associated with various place names, such as Terrier-en-Bière, a commune in the Île-de-France region of France, and Terrier-Rouge, a town in the Canadian province of Quebec.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Terrier

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Terrier.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Terrier was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Terrier has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Terrier was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Terrier, please contact us.

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