2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thermitus
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "thermos" meaning hot, referring to someone's occupation or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 296 Americans carry the last name Thermitus. That puts it at #79,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,157,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thermitus 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
296
1 in 1,157,954
Census rank
#79,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
258
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 258 bearers of the surname Thermitus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thermitus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thermitus
The surname THERMITUS originates from ancient Greece, dating back to the 5th century BC. It is derived from the Greek word "thermos," meaning "hot," and "itis," a suffix indicating a condition or state. The name likely referred to a person who worked with heat or fire, such as a blacksmith or metalworker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name THERMITUS appears in a collection of ancient Greek texts from the 3rd century BC. It is mentioned in a legal document regarding a dispute between a metalworker named Thermitus and a local merchant over the payment for a commissioned work.
During the Byzantine Empire, the name THERMITUS was relatively common among Greek families involved in metalworking or related trades. In the 9th century, a renowned Byzantine blacksmith named Thermitus was commissioned to craft ornate gates for the imperial palace in Constantinople. His work was praised for its intricate detail and durability.
In the 12th century, a monk named Thermitus was known for his expertise in metallurgy and was responsible for overseeing the construction of bronze bells for monasteries throughout the Byzantine Empire. His work was documented in various ecclesiastical records of the time.
As the name spread across Europe during the Middle Ages, it evolved into various regional spellings, such as Thermitis, Thermytus, and Thermidus. In the 14th century, a French nobleman named Jacques Thermitus was known for his skill in metalworking and was responsible for crafting armor and weapons for the royal court.
During the Renaissance, the name THERMITUS was associated with several notable figures in the field of alchemy and metallurgy. One such figure was Giovanni Thermitus, an Italian alchemist born in 1452, who is credited with developing innovative techniques for smelting and purifying metals.
Another notable figure was Hans Thermitus, a German metalworker born in 1532, who was renowned for his intricate iron and steel works, including elaborate gates and fences commissioned by wealthy patrons across Europe.
In the 17th century, the name THERMITUS was found in records from the Netherlands, where a family of metalworkers and blacksmiths bore the name. One member, Pieter Thermitus (1612-1678), was particularly skilled in crafting ornate iron railings and gates for churches and public buildings throughout the Dutch Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thermitus
Among Census respondents with the surname Thermitus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Thermitus 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 Thermitus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.4% · 241
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 6
- Two or more races2.3% · 6
- White1.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thermitus
Thermitus 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
#98,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
+70 bearers (+61.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 37,284 places
2020
#79,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 258
+74 bearers (+40.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 18,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,553 | 184 | 0.06 | +70 bearers (+61.4%) | Up 37,284 places |
| 2020 | #79,581 | 258 | 0.09 | +74 bearers (+40.2%) | Up 18,972 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 Thermitus 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 | #98,553 | #79,581 | 19.3% |
| Count | 184 | 258 | 40.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 43.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thermitus bearers went from 184 to 258 (+40.2% change). The surname moved up 18,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,553 to #79,581.
FAQ
Thermitus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thermitus?
Name Census estimates that about 296 living Americans carry the surname Thermitus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,157,954 residents.
How common is Thermitus?
Thermitus ranks #79,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 258 people with the surname Thermitus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (296), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Thermitus.
Has Thermitus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thermitus went from 184 recorded bearers to 258. That is an increase of 74 (+40.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,553 to #79,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Thermitus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thermitus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Thermitus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thermitus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.4%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Thermitus (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 Thermitus mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "thermos" meaning hot, referring to someone's occupation or location. 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 Thermitus (0.09 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 Thermitus?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Thermitus, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.