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

Then, 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 Then surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Then in America

Then is the 14227th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Then surname appeared 2,108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Then.

We can also compare 2010 data for Then 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 Then

The surname THEN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "thegn," which referred to a class of retainers or attendants who served the Anglo-Saxon nobility. These individuals held land granted by their lords in exchange for their service, and the name THEN may have been adopted by some of these early thegns or their descendants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname THEN appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 11th century, potentially originating several centuries earlier during the Anglo-Saxon period.

In the 13th century, records from the county of Oxfordshire mention a Robert Then, who may have been a landowner or person of some significance in the region. Another early bearer of the name was John Then, documented in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, which were records of tax payments made to the English Crown.

During the late Middle Ages and early modern period, variations of the name emerged, such as Thenne, Thene, and Thenne. These alternative spellings likely reflected regional dialects and the evolving nature of the English language at the time.

One notable figure with the surname THEN was Sir Thomas Then, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived during the 15th century. He is recorded as having served in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil conflicts between the House of Lancaster and the House of York over the English throne.

Another individual of note was William Then, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. He was involved in the city's governance and trade activities, reflecting the surname's association with individuals of social standing and influence.

It is worth mentioning that the surname THEN may also have originated independently in other parts of Europe, potentially deriving from different linguistic roots or local place names. However, the English origin and evolution of the name remain the most well-documented and widely accepted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Then

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

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

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

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