2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Terzano
A surname derived from the Italian word "terzo" meaning "third".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Terzano. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Terzano 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Terzano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Terzano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Terzano
The surname Terzano is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the late medieval period in central and southern regions of the Italian peninsula.
Derived from the Italian word "terzo," meaning "third," the name likely originated as a surname given to the third-born son in a family. In some cases, it may have been used to distinguish between individuals living in a particular area, referring to the "third" district or section of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Terzano can be found in the historical documents of the city of Perugia, dating back to the 14th century. A certain Niccolò Terzano was mentioned as a prominent landowner and merchant in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various records across central Italy, including the city of Florence. Notable individuals bearing the surname Terzano during this period include Giovanni Terzano (1465-1532), a renowned painter and fresco artist who contributed to the decoration of several churches and palaces in Florence.
The surname Terzano also has a strong connection to the city of Naples in southern Italy. During the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the Terzano family held prominent positions within the Neapolitan nobility and ecclesiastical circles. One such figure was Tommaso Terzano (1570-1648), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Kingdom of Naples.
As the Terzano family spread across different regions of Italy, variations in spelling emerged, such as Terzani, Terzanini, and Terzanelli. These variations often reflected local dialects and traditions.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Giuseppe Terzano (1815-1892), an Italian mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of applied mechanics. He was also a professor at the University of Naples and published several influential works on engineering principles.
Another individual of note was Cesare Terzano (1890-1966), an Italian painter and sculptor who was part of the Futurist movement in the early 20th century. His works were exhibited in major galleries across Europe and are now part of prestigious collections worldwide.
Overall, the surname Terzano has a rich history rooted in various regions of Italy, with notable bearers spanning various fields, including art, law, academia, and the nobility. Its origin as a surname denoting birth order or geographical location has evolved into a distinctive Italian surname with a lasting legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Terzano
Among Census respondents with the surname Terzano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Terzano 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 Terzano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Terzano
Terzano 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,321 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-21 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,556 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,321 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 19,556 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 Terzano 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 | #131,379 | #150,935 | -14.9% |
| Count | 129 | 108 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Terzano bearers went from 129 to 108 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 19,556 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #150,935.
FAQ
Terzano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Terzano?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Terzano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Terzano?
Terzano ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Terzano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Terzano.
Has Terzano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Terzano went from 129 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Terzano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Terzano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Terzano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Terzano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Terzano (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 Terzano mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "terzo" meaning "third". 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 Terzano (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 are called Terzano?
You can see how many people have the surname Terzano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.