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

Theriot, 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 Theriot surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Theriot in America

Theriot is the 5418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Theriot surname appeared 6,424 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Theriot.

We can also compare 2010 data for Theriot 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 Theriot

The surname Theriot has its origins in France, tracing back to the early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "theriot," which referred to a small landowner or a tenant farmer. This name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Poitou and Normandy.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Theriot can be found in the records of the Parish of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, an island off the west coast of France, where a Jacques Theriot was recorded in 1640. The name also appears in various other historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries in the region.

During the French colonization of Acadia (present-day Canadian Maritimes), several families bearing the surname Theriot were among the earliest settlers. One notable figure was Pierre Theriot, who was born in 1685 and settled in Port-Royal, Acadia. His descendants later migrated to Louisiana after the Great Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755.

In Louisiana, the Theriot family played a significant role in the development of the Acadiana region, which is known for its rich Cajun culture. One of the most prominent members of the family was Louis Theriot, born in 1795, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and was instrumental in establishing the first public school system in the state.

Another notable figure with the surname Theriot was Jean-Baptiste Theriot, born in 1825 in Louisiana. He was a prominent farmer and landowner who played a crucial role in preserving the Cajun language and traditions in the region.

During the 19th century, the Theriot family also had members who migrated to other parts of the United States, including Texas and California. One such individual was Emile Theriot, born in 1850 in Louisiana, who became a successful businessman and landowner in California, contributing to the development of the state's agricultural industry.

Throughout history, the Theriot surname has been associated with various place names and variations in spelling, such as Thériault, Thérieau, and Thériau, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where the name was prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Theriot

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!