2000
#9,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Threatt
A surname derived from a nickname for a threatening or formidable person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,659 Americans carry the last name Threatt. That puts it at #9,708 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Threatt 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
3.7K
1 in 93,674
Census rank
#9,708
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,191 bearers of the surname Threatt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9708th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Threatt
The surname THREATT originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Warwickshire. It is derived from the Old English word "threat," which means "threat" or "menace." The name likely referred to someone with a fierce or intimidating demeanor.
In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Warwickshire recorded a mention of a person named Willelmus Thret, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname THREATT. This is one of the earliest known references to the name in historical records.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct mentions of the surname THREATT. However, it does include references to place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.
During the 14th century, the surname THREATT began to spread beyond Warwickshire to other parts of England. One notable example is John Threatt, a merchant from Bristol who was recorded in the city's trade records in 1372.
In the 16th century, the surname THREATT appeared in various spellings, including Thret, Thrett, and Threatte. One notable bearer of the name during this period was William Threatt, a landowner in Gloucestershire mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1523.
In the 17th century, the surname THREATT continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. A notable example is Thomas Threatt, a farmer from Oxfordshire who was mentioned in the parish records of Steeple Aston in 1642.
During the 18th century, the spelling of the surname became more standardized as THREATT. One notable figure from this period was John Threatt, a merchant from London who was involved in the East India trade and mentioned in the records of the East India Company in 1767.
In the 19th century, the surname THREATT began to spread beyond England to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of emigration. One example is James Threatt, an early settler in Virginia, who is recorded in the census of 1850.
Throughout history, the surname THREATT has been borne by various notable individuals, including authors, artists, and military figures. Some examples include:
1. Robert Threatt (1836-1907), an American Civil War soldier and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
2. Mary Threatt (1876-1947), an African American educator and civil rights activist.
3. Walter Threatt (1908-1988), an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader.
4. Sekou Threatt (born 1974), an American former professional basketball player.
5. Alvin Threatt (born 1959), an American former professional basketball player.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Threatt
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Threatt 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 Threatt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.1% · 1,789
- White36.6% · 1,167
- Two or more races5.0% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Threatt
Threatt 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
#9,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,545
+224 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 149 places
2020
#9,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,191
-354 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,050 | 3,321 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,199 | 3,545 | 1.20 | +224 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 149 places |
| 2020 | #9,708 | 3,191 | 1.07 | -354 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 509 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 Threatt 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 | #9,199 | #9,708 | -5.5% |
| Count | 3,545 | 3,191 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.07 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Threatt bearers went from 3,545 to 3,191 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 509 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,199 to #9,708.
FAQ
Threatt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Threatt?
Name Census estimates that about 3,659 living Americans carry the surname Threatt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,674 residents.
How common is Threatt?
Threatt ranks #9,708 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,191 people with the surname Threatt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,659), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Threatt.
Has Threatt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Threatt went from 3,545 recorded bearers to 3,191. That is a decrease of 354 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,199 to #9,708.
What does the Census say about the background of Threatt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Threatt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.1% (1,789 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Threatt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.1%), White (36.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Threatt (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 Threatt mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for a threatening or formidable person. 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 Threatt (1.07 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 surname Threatt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.