2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tharin
Of Scottish origin, denoting a person from the landed estate of Tharin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Tharin. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tharin 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Tharin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tharin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tharin
The surname THARIN is believed to have originated in the Scandinavian regions of Europe, particularly in the areas of modern-day Sweden and Norway. Its roots can be traced back to the Old Norse language, where the word "thar" meant "strong" or "brave," while "in" was a common suffix used to form surnames.
One of the earliest known references to the THARIN name can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas mention a warrior named Thorin Tharin, who was renowned for his bravery and strength in battle.
In the late 15th century, records from the city of Malmö in southern Sweden mention a family with the surname THARIN. These records indicate that the family was involved in agricultural pursuits and owned a modest farmstead in the surrounding countryside.
As the surname spread throughout Scandinavia, various spelling variations emerged, such as Tharin, Tharyn, and Thorin. These variations often reflected the local dialects and linguistic traditions of different regions.
One notable individual bearing the THARIN surname was Hans Tharin, a Swedish military officer who lived from 1590 to 1655. He served in the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War and was known for his strategic prowess on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Ingrid Tharin, a Norwegian painter and illustrator who lived from 1825 to 1903. Her work was celebrated for its vivid depictions of rural life and landscapes in Norway, and several of her paintings are housed in the National Museum of Art in Oslo.
In the late 19th century, a family by the name of Tharin emigrated from Sweden to the United States, settling in the state of Minnesota. One of their descendants, Erik Tharin, born in 1902, became a renowned architect and was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Over the centuries, the THARIN surname has also been associated with various place names in Scandinavia. For instance, the village of Tharin in central Sweden was likely named after an early settler with that surname.
While the THARIN name may not be as widely recognized as some other Scandinavian surnames, it remains an important part of the cultural heritage and history of the region, reflecting the valor and resilience of its bearers throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tharin
Among Census respondents with the surname Tharin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tharin 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 Tharin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 8
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tharin
Tharin 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+10 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 174 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.6%) | Up 174 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,662 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 Tharin 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 | #133,863 | #140,525 | -5.0% |
| Count | 126 | 122 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tharin bearers went from 126 to 122 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #140,525.
FAQ
Tharin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tharin?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Tharin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Tharin?
Tharin ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Tharin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Tharin.
Has Tharin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tharin went from 126 recorded bearers to 122. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Tharin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tharin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Tharin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tharin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Tharin (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 Tharin mean?
Of Scottish origin, denoting a person from the landed estate of Tharin. 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 Tharin (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 Tharin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.