Explore the Family Name Terrien
The meaning of Terrien
French: topographic or status name from terrien ‘owner of a farmland’, a derivative of terre ‘ground, earth, land’, denoting someone who lived and worked on the land, i.e. a peasant. Compare Farmer, Lander, Pharmer, Taylor, Terrian, Therien, Therrian, and Therrien. History: The first Terrien to come to North America was André Terrien from La Rochelle, France, who arrived in QC in 1656. However, he later returned to France. The progenitors of the majority of the American T(h)erriens are hence Jean Terrien/Therrien dit Duponceau from Dieppe in Seine-Maritime, France, who married Judith Rigaud in Trois-Rivières, QC, in 1667, and Pierre Terrien, probably from La Rochelle, France, who married Gabrielle Mineau in Sainte-Famille, Île d’Orléans, QC, in 1670. One son of the former and seven sons of the latter were married and had descendants who also bear altered forms of the surname, mentioned above, most commonly Therrien. Some characteristic forenames: French Normand, Rene.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Terrien in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Terrien saw a slight shift in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 32,129 in terms of popularity, rising to 32,994 by 2010, representing a decrease of 2.69%. The count of people with this surname also increased from 677 in 2000 to 694 in 2010, a growth of 2.51%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 4% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,129 | #32,994 | -2.69% |
| Count | 677 | 694 | 2.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.25 | 0.24 | -4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Terrien
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Terrien according to the same census data, it's clear that the majority identified as White, although this percentage slightly decreased from 94.83% in 2000 to 93.52% in 2010. There was a significant increase in those identifying with two or more races, jumping from 0.89% in 2000 to 2.74% in 2010. In contrast, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased significantly, dropping by 38.98%. Both Asian/Pacific Islander and Black identities reported zero percentages for both years. Finally, there was a marginal decrease in those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.62% in 2000 to 1.59% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.83% | 93.52% | -1.38% |
| Two or More Races | 0.89% | 2.74% | 207.87% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 1.59% | -1.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.36% | 1.44% | -38.98% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |