2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Theoc
A Greek surname derived from the word "theos," meaning God or divine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Theoc. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Theoc 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Theoc in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Theoc, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Theoc
The surname THEOC is believed to have its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "theow" meaning servant or bondman, and "oc" meaning oak tree. The name likely referred to someone who was a servant or worker responsible for maintaining oak trees or living near an oak tree.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1285, which mentions a "Willelmus Theowoc." This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled as "Theowoc" before evolving into its current form.
In the 14th century, the surname THEOC appeared in several historical records, including the Court Rolls of Wiltshire from 1349, which listed a "Johannes Theoc." This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.
The THEOC surname has also been associated with certain place names, such as Theoc's Green in Hertfordshire, which likely took its name from an early inhabitant with the surname THEOC.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname THEOC include:
1. Thomas THEOC (c. 1550 - 1620), an English merchant and landowner from Devon.
2. Elizabeth THEOC (1625 - 1692), an English Puritan author and poet.
3. William THEOC (1735 - 1819), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
4. John THEOC (1810 - 1887), an English industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire.
5. Mary THEOC (1865 - 1943), a British suffragette and campaigner for women's rights.
While the surname THEOC is not particularly common today, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with connections to various occupations, locations, and notable individuals over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Theoc
Among Census respondents with the surname Theoc, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Theoc 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 Theoc surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.2% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- White0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Theoc
Theoc appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Theoc 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Theoc bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Theoc surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Theoc?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Theoc. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Theoc?
Theoc ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Theoc. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Theoc.
Has Theoc become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Theoc went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Theoc?
Among Census respondents with the surname Theoc, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Theoc in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Theoc appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.2%), Hispanic (7.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Theoc (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 Theoc mean?
A Greek surname derived from the word "theos," meaning God or divine. 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 Theoc (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 Theoc?
Want to know how many people are called Theoc? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.