2000
#16,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,603
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Then
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a shortened form of a longer name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,532 Americans carry the last name Then. That puts it at #13,246 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,369 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Then 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
2.5K
1 in 135,369
Census rank
#13,246
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,208 bearers of the surname Then in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13246th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Then, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Then
Among Census respondents with the surname Then, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Then 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 Then surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino67.0% · 1,479
- White22.6% · 499
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.6% · 189
- Black or African American1.0% · 22
- Two or more races0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Then
Then 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
#14,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,108
+505 bearers (+31.5%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 2,275 places
2020
#13,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,208
+100 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,502 | 1,603 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,227 | 2,108 | 0.71 | +505 bearers (+31.5%) | Up 2,275 places |
| 2020 | #13,246 | 2,208 | 0.74 | +100 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 981 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 Then 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 | #14,227 | #13,246 | 6.9% |
| Count | 2,108 | 2,208 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.74 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Then bearers went from 2,108 to 2,208 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 981 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,227 to #13,246.
FAQ
Then surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Then?
Name Census estimates that about 2,532 living Americans carry the surname Then. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,369 residents.
How common is Then?
Then ranks #13,246 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,208 people with the surname Then. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,532), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Then.
Has Then become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Then went from 2,108 recorded bearers to 2,208. That is an increase of 100 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,227 to #13,246.
What does the Census say about the background of Then?
Among Census respondents with the surname Then, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.0%. The next largest groups are White (22.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Then in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (1,479 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Then appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (67.0%), White (22.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%). 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 Then (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 Then mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a shortened form of a longer name. 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 Then (0.74 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 have the last name Then?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Then on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.