2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Threatte
Variant spelling of an English surname deriving from "threat".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Threatte. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Threatte 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Threatte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatte, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Threatte
The surname Threatte has its origins in the British Isles, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "threat," which referred to a narrow passage or alleyway, indicating that the name may have initially been a descriptor for someone who lived near such a location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Thrette is listed. This suggests that the name had already been established in the northern regions of England by the late medieval period.
During the 16th century, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Threatt, Threat, and Threatte. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.
While the Threatte surname does not appear in the Domesday Book, it is mentioned in other historical records from the Tudor era. One notable individual was William Threatte, a merchant from London who was recorded in the port records of Bristol in 1542.
As the centuries progressed, the Threatte family dispersed throughout various parts of Britain and beyond. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the English county of Gloucestershire, where they established roots in the village of Painswick. John Threatte, born in 1624, was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a churchwarden.
In Scotland, the earliest known record of the name dates back to 1698, when Robert Threatte was listed in the parish registers of Aberdeenshire. This suggests that the surname had spread northward by the late 17th century.
One of the most notable individuals with the Threatte surname was Sir Henry Threatte (1756-1832), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Dorset and rose through the ranks to become an admiral, commanding several ships during his illustrious career.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Threatte (1815-1892), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Bath from 1875 until his death. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and church history.
In the United States, the Threatte surname can be traced back to the early 18th century, when several families of this name arrived from England and settled in various colonies along the eastern seaboard. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Samuel Threatte, who was born in Virginia in 1712.
Throughout history, the Threatte surname has had a presence across various regions and has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, clergymen, military personnel, and more.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Threatte
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatte, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Threatte 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 Threatte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 81
- Black or African American17.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Threatte
Threatte 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-12 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,874 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 6,874 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 Threatte 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 | #156,269 | -4.6% |
| Count | 110 | 98 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Threatte bearers went from 110 to 98 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 6,874 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,269.
FAQ
Threatte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Threatte?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Threatte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Threatte?
Threatte ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Threatte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Threatte.
Has Threatte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Threatte went from 110 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Threatte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Threatte, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (17.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Threatte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Threatte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (17.3%). 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 Threatte (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 Threatte mean?
Variant spelling of an English surname deriving from "threat". 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 Threatte (0.03 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 Threatte?
See how common the surname Threatte is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.