2000
#37,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 551
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Tierce
A surname derived from the French word meaning "third" or "one-third."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 706 Americans carry the last name Tierce. That puts it at #38,660 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 485,488 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tierce 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
706
1 in 485,488
Census rank
#38,660
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
616
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 616 bearers of the surname Tierce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38660th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tierce
The surname Tierce is of French origin, derived from the French word "tiers," which means "third." It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century, possibly as a nickname or occupational name for someone who was the third son or held a third share or portion of something, such as land or an inheritance.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or relationships. The name Tierce may have been given to a third-born son in a family or to someone who held a third share of property or a specific role within a community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tierce can be found in the Calais Musters of 1346-1347, which were lists of English soldiers stationed in Calais during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The name "Johan Ters" is listed among the soldiers, which is likely an early variant spelling of Tierce.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various records across France, including the Parisian tax rolls of 1421, where a certain Guillaume Tierce is mentioned. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region during that time period.
Notable individuals with the surname Tierce include Jean Tierce (c. 1515-1589), a French Protestant theologian and pastor who was active during the Protestant Reformation. He was known for his writings and sermons defending the Calvinist doctrine.
Another prominent figure was Pierre Tierce (1622-1701), a French Jesuit priest and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of geometry. He is best known for his work on conic sections and his correspondence with renowned philosophers and mathematicians of his time, such as René Descartes and Blaise Pascal.
In the 18th century, the name Tierce can be found in various French and British colonial records, indicating that individuals with this surname had migrated to other parts of the world. For example, a certain Jacques Tierce was listed as a resident of Quebec, Canada, in the 1765 census.
In the 19th century, the name appears in various genealogical records and local histories across Europe and North America. One notable individual was John Tierce (1813-1891), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee between 1869 and 1871.
Throughout history, the surname Tierce has been subject to various spellings, including Ters, Tiers, and Terce, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes over time. While the name is relatively uncommon today, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of surnames with roots in medieval France and a legacy that spans multiple centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tierce
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tierce 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 Tierce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 558
- Two or more races3.6% · 22
- Black or African American2.9% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tierce
Tierce 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
#39,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 551
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 1,956 places
2020
#38,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 616
+65 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 1,177 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,881 | 551 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,837 | 551 | 0.19 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,956 places |
| 2020 | #38,660 | 616 | 0.21 | +65 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 1,177 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 Tierce 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 | #39,837 | #38,660 | 3.0% |
| Count | 551 | 616 | 11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.21 | 8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tierce bearers went from 551 to 616 (+11.8% change). The surname moved up 1,177 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,837 to #38,660.
FAQ
Tierce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tierce?
Name Census estimates that about 706 living Americans carry the surname Tierce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 485,488 residents.
How common is Tierce?
Tierce ranks #38,660 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 616 people with the surname Tierce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (706), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Tierce.
Has Tierce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tierce went from 551 recorded bearers to 616. That is an increase of 65 (+11.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,837 to #38,660.
What does the Census say about the background of Tierce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tierce, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Tierce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (558 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tierce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (2.9%). 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 Tierce (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 Tierce mean?
A surname derived from the French word meaning "third" or "one-third." 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 Tierce (0.21 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 share the surname Tierce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.