2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Terwiske
A low German habitational surname deriving from a place name meaning "at the willows".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Terwiske. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terwiske 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Terwiske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terwiske, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terwiske
The surname Terwiske is of Dutch origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century in the Netherlands. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly derived from a combination of the Dutch words "ter" meaning "at the" and "wiske" referring to a small meadow or pasture.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Terwiske name can be found in the historical records of the city of Utrecht, where a certain Willem Terwiske was listed as a resident in the year 1587. This suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in the central regions of the Netherlands, particularly around the province of Utrecht.
In the 17th century, the Terwiske name appears to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, with records indicating individuals bearing this surname in cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with the name sometimes appearing as Terwisk, Terwisk, or Terwiske.
A notable figure with the Terwiske surname was Jan Terwiske (1617-1688), a Dutch merchant and trader who was involved in the thriving maritime commerce of the Dutch Golden Age. He is recorded as having established trade routes with the East Indies and played a role in the expansion of Dutch colonial interests in the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Pieter Terwiske (1745-1822), a prominent Dutch artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the rural scenery of the Netherlands. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime and can be found in various art collections and museums across the country.
In the 19th century, the Terwiske name made its way to other parts of Europe, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in countries like Germany and Belgium. One such person was Heinrich Terwiske (1825-1891), a German philosopher and professor who taught at various universities in Germany and published several influential works on ethics and metaphysics.
As the Terwiske surname spread beyond the Netherlands, it also found its way to other parts of the world, particularly through Dutch migration and colonization efforts. For instance, there are records of individuals named Terwiske in former Dutch colonies like Indonesia and South Africa, likely descendants of Dutch settlers or traders who had established roots in these regions.
Throughout its history, the Terwiske surname has maintained a strong association with its Dutch origins, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Netherlands. While not a particularly common name, it has nevertheless left its mark on various aspects of Dutch history, from trade and commerce to art and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terwiske
Among Census respondents with the surname Terwiske, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Terwiske 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 Terwiske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terwiske
Terwiske appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 2,174 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 Terwiske 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 | #149,395 | #147,221 | 1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 113 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terwiske bearers went from 110 to 113 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 2,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,221.
FAQ
Terwiske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terwiske?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Terwiske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Terwiske?
Terwiske ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Terwiske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Terwiske.
Has Terwiske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terwiske went from 110 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Terwiske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terwiske, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Terwiske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terwiske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Terwiske (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 Terwiske mean?
A low German habitational surname deriving from a place name meaning "at the willows". 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 Terwiske (0.04 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 Terwiske?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.