Explore the Family Name Tekle

The meaning of Tekle

Ethiopian and Eritrean: from the personal name Tekle, which is interpreted as ‘my plant’ in the Ge’ez, Amharic or related languages. — Note: Since Ethiopians and Eritreans do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Ethiopian/Eritrean Haile, Kidane, Alem, Berhane, Genet, Hagos, Lemlem, Tsegai, Abeba, Abiy, Alemayehu, Berhanu.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Tekle in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Tekle saw impressive growth from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Tekle was ranked 37,374 in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had risen to a rank of 23,943, marking an increase of 35.94%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also increased significantly over this period, with only 561 recorded instances in 2000 surging to 1054 in 2010, an increase of 87.88%. Thus, the proportion of the US population with this surname per 100,000 people grew from 0.21 to 0.36, a change of 71.43%.

20002010Change
Rank#37,374#23,94335.94%
Count5611,05487.88%
Proportion per 100k0.210.3671.43%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tekle

When discussing the ethnic identity linked to the surname Tekle, information from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some insightful trends. The largest group identified as Black, growing from 82.53% in 2000 to 93.83% in 2010, a change of 13.69%. The next notable group was those identifying as belonging to two or more races; however, this category saw a decrease from 13.55% in 2000 to just 1.61% in 2010. Those identifying as White made up a small percentage but saw a growth from 2.32% in 2000 to 3.32% in 2010. There was a slight increase in those identifying as Hispanic from 0% in 2000 to 0.85% in 2010, whereas those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were negligible or suppressed for privacy reasons in both years.

20002010Change
Black82.53%93.83%13.69%
White2.32%3.32%43.1%
Two or More Races13.55%1.61%-88.12%
Hispanic0%0.85%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.6%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%