2000
#22,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Teston
A habitational name for someone from a place called Teston.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,146 Americans carry the last name Teston. That puts it at #25,819 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 299,088 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Teston 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
1.1K
1 in 299,088
Census rank
#25,819
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
999
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 999 bearers of the surname Teston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25819th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Teston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Teston
The surname Teston originates from England, primarily in the county of Yorkshire, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or a village, combined with a personal name, possibly "Testa" or a variation thereof.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Testun." This historical record suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific location or settlement at the time.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, including "Testone," "Teston," and "Testun," in various records and manuscripts from Yorkshire and neighboring areas. These variations likely indicate regional differences in pronunciation and spelling.
One notable individual bearing the surname Teston was Sir John Teston, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the Hundred Years' War and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
During the 16th century, the surname Teston was associated with several notable figures, including William Teston (1520-1585), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Cambridge, and Thomas Teston (1545-1612), a successful merchant and landowner in Yorkshire.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and legal documents across England, with several variations in spelling, such as "Teston," "Testonn," and "Testonne." One notable figure from this period was Robert Teston (1630-1698), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname Teston was Sir Edward Teston (1725-1801), a highly decorated military officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Teston has been associated with various places and locations across England, particularly in Yorkshire, where it is believed to have originated. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling over time, its roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the early medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Teston
Among Census respondents with the surname Teston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Teston 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 Teston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 843
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.8% · 68
- Two or more races4.1% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Teston
Teston 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
#21,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
+132 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 771 places
2020
#25,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 999
-203 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 4,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,443 | 1,070 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,672 | 1,202 | 0.41 | +132 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 771 places |
| 2020 | #25,819 | 999 | 0.33 | -203 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 4,147 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 Teston 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 | #21,672 | #25,819 | -19.1% |
| Count | 1,202 | 999 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.33 | -18.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Teston bearers went from 1,202 to 999 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 4,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,672 to #25,819.
FAQ
Teston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Teston?
Name Census estimates that about 1,146 living Americans carry the surname Teston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 299,088 residents.
How common is Teston?
Teston ranks #25,819 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 999 people with the surname Teston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Teston.
Has Teston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Teston went from 1,202 recorded bearers to 999. That is a decrease of 203 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,672 to #25,819.
What does the Census say about the background of Teston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Teston, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Teston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Teston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Teston (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 Teston mean?
A habitational name for someone from a place called Teston. 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 Teston (0.33 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 are called Teston?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Teston on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.