2000
#8,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Teter
Derived from the German dialect word "Vetter" or "Teter," meaning a male cousin or kinsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,004 Americans carry the last name Teter. That puts it at #8,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Teter 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
4.0K
1 in 85,603
Census rank
#8,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,492 bearers of the surname Teter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Teter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Teter
The surname Teter has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "tetern," which means "to stammer" or "to stutter." The name likely referred to someone who had a speech impediment or who spoke with a stutter.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Tetter" or "Teter" in various regions of Germany. It was particularly common in the areas of Saxony, Bavaria, and Württemberg. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Heilbronn, Württemberg, from the year 1572, where a certain Hans Tetter is mentioned.
The Teter surname gained wider recognition in the 17th century, when a notable figure named Johann Teter (1620-1692) rose to prominence as a respected theologian and author in Nuremberg. His works on religious philosophy and biblical interpretation were widely read and influential during his time.
Another notable figure bearing the Teter name was Christoph Teter (1673-1741), a German composer and organist. He was born in Nuremberg and is remembered for his contributions to the development of the Baroque music style in Germany.
As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other countries, including England and the Netherlands. In England, the earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1635, when a certain William Teter was listed in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Islington, London.
In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes spelled as "Teeters" or "Teeteren." One notable Dutch individual with this surname was Pieter Teeters (1765-1842), a merchant and shipowner from Amsterdam who played a significant role in the city's thriving maritime trade during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Over the centuries, the Teter surname has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from academics and clergy to merchants and artisans. Some other notable individuals with this last name include:
1. Heinrich Teter (1802-1878), a German painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
2. Anna Teter (1845-1921), an American educator and women's rights activist from Ohio.
3. Franz Teter (1867-1932), an Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna.
4. Gerhard Teter (1910-1992), a German scientist and pioneer in the field of nuclear physics.
5. Edith Teter (1928-2017), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teter
Among Census respondents with the surname Teter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Teter 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 Teter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 3,141
- Two or more races4.3% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Teter
Teter 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
#8,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,050
+374 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 93 places
2020
#8,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,492
-558 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,288 | 3,676 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,195 | 4,050 | 1.37 | +374 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 93 places |
| 2020 | #8,990 | 3,492 | 1.17 | -558 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 795 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 Teter 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 | #8,195 | #8,990 | -9.7% |
| Count | 4,050 | 3,492 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.17 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Teter bearers went from 4,050 to 3,492 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 795 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,195 to #8,990.
FAQ
Teter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Teter?
Name Census estimates that about 4,004 living Americans carry the surname Teter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,603 residents.
How common is Teter?
Teter ranks #8,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,492 people with the surname Teter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Teter.
Has Teter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Teter went from 4,050 recorded bearers to 3,492. That is a decrease of 558 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,195 to #8,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Teter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Teter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Teter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Teter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Teter (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 Teter mean?
Derived from the German dialect word "Vetter" or "Teter," meaning a male cousin or kinsman. 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 Teter (1.17 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 Teter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.