Explore the Family Name Telfer

The meaning of Telfer

English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French taille ‘cut’ + fer ‘iron’, perhaps for a strong man or ferocious warrior. The nickname was also used as an Anglo-Norman personal name.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Telfer has seen a growth in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 18397th most popular surname and by 2010, it had risen to the 17572nd spot, marking a 4.48% increase. The count of people with the surname also increased from 1,387 in 2000 to 1,600 in 2010 – a surge of 15.36%. The proportion per 100,000 people with the surname Telfer also saw a slight bump from 0.51 to 0.54 over the decade.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#18,397	#17,572	4.48%
Count	1,387	1,600	15.36%
Proportion per 100k	0.51	0.54	5.88%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Telfer

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Telfer underwent some shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority identified as White, albeit there was a decrease from 86.52% in 2000 to 79.81% in 2010. There was significant growth within the Hispanic and Black communities, witnessing an increase of 80.92% and 61.52% respectively. Despite being a smaller percentage of those with the Telfer surname, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were accounted for in the 2010 census, where they were not in 2000. However, those identifying with two or more races decreased by 33.89% from 2000 to 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
White	86.52%	79.81%	-7.76%
Black	8.94%	14.44%	61.52%
Hispanic	1.73%	3.13%	80.92%
Two or More Races	1.8%	1.19%	-33.89%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	1%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0.44%	0%