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

Terrill, 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 Terrill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Terrill in America

Terrill is the 6075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Terrill surname appeared 5,641 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Terrill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Terrill 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 Terrill

The surname Terrill has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "tertre," meaning a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or on a hill or elevated ground.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a mention of a place called "Terryll" in Somerset, which could be an early spelling variation of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Terrill can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Terrill was listed as a landowner. This indicates that the surname was already established and in use during this time period.

In the 14th century, a John Terrill was documented as a member of the parliament in Derbyshire, England, suggesting that the family had gained some prominence and social standing.

During the 16th century, the surname Terrill was found in various records, including those of Thomas Terrill (1520-1580), who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and his son, John Terrill (1550-1615), who served as a Member of Parliament for the same county.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was Sir Samuel Terrill (1615-1676), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stockbridge and later became a justice of the King's Bench.

Another prominent individual with the surname Terrill was Rev. Edward Terrill (1696-1762), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works and served as the rector of various parishes in Hampshire and Wiltshire.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Terrill was William Terrill (1834-1862), a Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War who was killed in action at the Battle of Perryville.

While the surname Terrill has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where individuals with this surname can be found today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Terrill

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

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 Terrill 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 Terrill 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 Terrill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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