2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Theron
A French surname derived from the Greek word for "hunter".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 294 Americans carry the last name Theron. That puts it at #80,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,165,831 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Theron 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Theron with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
294
1 in 1,165,831
Census rank
#80,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
256
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 256 bearers of the surname Theron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Theron, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.9%) and Black (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Theron
The surname Theron has its origins in France, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French word "thieren," which means "a wild beast." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been hunters or lived in areas known for their wildlife.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Theron can be found in the medieval charters of Normandy, dated around the 12th century. These charters mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Theroun and Therouin.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the records of the French region of Picardy, where a village named Thérouanne existed. It is possible that some bearers of the Theron surname originated from this area or were associated with it in some way.
During the 16th century, a notable figure named Jacques Theron (c. 1510-1570) was a French Protestant minister and theologian. He played a significant role in the French Reformation and was known for his efforts to promote the Protestant faith in France.
Another prominent individual with the surname Theron was Étienne Theron (1635-1711), a French priest and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Paris. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, Jean-François Theron (1733-1811) was a French military officer and engineer. He served in the French army and was involved in various military campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars.
The name Theron also found its way to other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland. In the 19th century, Jean-Louis Theron (1810-1888) was a Swiss architect and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of civil engineering and the construction of bridges and tunnels.
Another notable figure with the surname Theron was Gustave Theron (1855-1916), a French painter and illustrator. He was known for his works depicting scenes from rural life and landscapes in France.
While the surname Theron is not as common as some other French surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Theron
Among Census respondents with the surname Theron, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.9%) and Black (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Theron 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 Theron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.3% · 139
- Two or more races28.9% · 74
- Black or African American10.2% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Theron
Theron 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
#99,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
+81 bearers (+81.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 50,591 places
2020
#80,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
+75 bearers (+41.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 19,791 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,845 | 181 | 0.06 | +81 bearers (+81.0%) | Up 50,591 places |
| 2020 | #80,054 | 256 | 0.09 | +75 bearers (+41.4%) | Up 19,791 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 Theron 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 | #99,845 | #80,054 | 19.8% |
| Count | 181 | 256 | 41.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 42.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Theron bearers went from 181 to 256 (+41.4% change). The surname moved up 19,791 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,845 to #80,054.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Theron
FAQ
Theron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Theron?
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the surname Theron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,165,831 residents.
How common is Theron?
Theron ranks #80,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 256 people with the surname Theron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (294), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Theron.
Has Theron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Theron went from 181 recorded bearers to 256. That is an increase of 75 (+41.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #99,845 to #80,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Theron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Theron, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (28.9%) and Black (10.2%). 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 Theron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.3% (139 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Theron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.3%), Two or More Races (28.9%), Black (10.2%). 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 Theron (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 Theron mean?
A French surname derived from the Greek word for "hunter". 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 Theron (0.09 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 share the surname Theron?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.