Explore the Family Name Theroux

The meaning of Theroux

French (Théroux): 1. (southern): habitational name from (Le) Thérou, the name of several places in the southwestern part of France. Alternatively, of the same origin as 2 below. This surname is no longer found in southern France. 2. (mainly Sarthe): probably from an ancient Germanic personal name based on the element tur ‘giant’. 3. (Nord): metathesized form of Tréhou, itself a variant of Tréhout, a topographic name composed of the preposition tré ‘beyond, on the other side’ and Middle Dutch hout ‘wood, copse’. History: Antoine Théroux dit Laferté from Verdun-sur-Garonne in Tarn-et-Garonne, France, married Marguerite Laforest in Montreal, QC, in 1706. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Manon, Andre, Emile, Herve, Marcel, Normand, Aime, Amie, Cecile, Donat, Dreux.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Theroux has experienced a slight decrease in popularity. In 2000, the Theroux surname ranked 15,984 in popularity and dropped to 17,927 by 2010, marking a decline of 12.16%. The count of people bearing this surname also decreased from 1,668 in 2000 to 1,559 in 2010, reflecting a 6.53% decrease. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the Theroux surname per 100,000 people fell by 14.52%, from 0.62 in 2000 to 0.53 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#15,984#17,927-12.16%
Count1,6681,559-6.53%
Proportion per 100k0.620.53-14.52%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Theroux

Turning to ethnicity based on Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of individuals with the Theroux surname identify as White, with 96.82% in 2000 and 95.83% in 2010. However, the percentage of Theroux's identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 33.33%, from 0.96% in 2000 to 0.64% in 2010. The data shows an increase in Theroux's reporting two or more ethnic identities, rising from 0.84% in 2000 to 1.60% in 2010, a significant change of 90.48%. The proportion identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase, from 0.90% in 2000 to 1.28% in 2010. There were no recorded instances of individuals with the Theroux surname identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White96.82%95.83%-1.02%
Two or More Races0.84%1.6%90.48%
Hispanic0.9%1.28%42.22%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.96%0.64%-33.33%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%