2000
#12,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Threlkeld
A locational surname derived from a place in Cumberland, England, meaning "spring or well in a barren field."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,472 Americans carry the last name Threlkeld. That puts it at #13,489 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Threlkeld 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Threlkeld with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,655
Census rank
#13,489
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,156 bearers of the surname Threlkeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13489th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Threlkeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Threlkeld
The surname Threlkeld originates from England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Threlkeld in Cumbria, located near Keswick in the Lake District. The name is believed to have come from the Old English words "þryll" meaning "hole" or "aperture" and "kelda" meaning "spring" or "well," referring to a natural spring or well in the area.
The earliest known record of the name Threlkeld appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Trellecult." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land ownership throughout England. The name is also found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from the late 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Threlkeld was Sir Richard de Threlkeld, who was born around 1280. He served as a knight during the Scottish Wars of Independence and is mentioned in several historical documents from the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Lancelot Threlkeld, born around 1450, who served as a Member of Parliament for Cumberland during the Wars of the Roses.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Threlkelds were a prominent family in Cumberland, with several members holding positions of authority in the region. One such individual was Sir John Threlkeld, born in 1535, who served as High Sheriff of Cumberland and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1578.
In the 18th century, John Threlkeld (1696-1772) was a notable English clergyman and author, known for his work "Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum" (A Synopsis of Irish Plants), which was one of the earliest published works on the flora of Ireland.
Another notable figure was Sir Launcelot Threlkeld (1825-1903), a British civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several railway lines in India during the British Raj. He was born in Haltwhistle, Northumberland, and was knighted in 1887 for his contributions to the development of India's infrastructure.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Threlkeld who have made significant contributions throughout history in various fields, ranging from military service and politics to literature and engineering.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Threlkeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Threlkeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Threlkeld 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 Threlkeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 1,814
- Black or African American7.9% · 171
- Two or more races3.5% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Threlkeld
Threlkeld 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
#13,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,237
-36 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 1,049 places
2020
#13,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,156
-81 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 62 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,502 | 2,273 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,551 | 2,237 | 0.76 | -36 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 1,049 places |
| 2020 | #13,489 | 2,156 | 0.72 | -81 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 62 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 Threlkeld 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 | #13,551 | #13,489 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,237 | 2,156 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.72 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Threlkeld bearers went from 2,237 to 2,156 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 62 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,551 to #13,489.
FAQ
Threlkeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Threlkeld?
Name Census estimates that about 2,472 living Americans carry the surname Threlkeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,655 residents.
How common is Threlkeld?
Threlkeld ranks #13,489 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,156 people with the surname Threlkeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,472), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Threlkeld.
Has Threlkeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Threlkeld went from 2,237 recorded bearers to 2,156. That is a decrease of 81 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,551 to #13,489.
What does the Census say about the background of Threlkeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Threlkeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Threlkeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (1,814 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Threlkeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Threlkeld (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 Threlkeld mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Cumberland, England, meaning "spring or well in a barren field." 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 Threlkeld (0.72 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 common is the surname Threlkeld?
Find out how many people have the last name Threlkeld on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.