The Templeton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,396 people carried this name — #2,687 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 22,000 people counted. That is up 1% from 13,299 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Templeton surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Templeton’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 741 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 18 births for the Templeton name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “13 in Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 15
Leinster 2
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Scotland, 1880s

Templeton was 11 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 909. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 594 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Templeton was recorded 39 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 655th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 68. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

55 families named Templeton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 323 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 24
North Carolina 10
South Carolina 7
New Hampshire 6
Virginia 3
New York 2
Vermont 1
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 264 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Templeton in American newspapers,
1882–1898.

Newspaper page from The Opelousas Courier carrying the name Templeton
The Opelousas Courier 1898-06-25
Newspaper page from Oxford Democrat carrying the name Templeton
Oxford Democrat 1882-01-10
Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Templeton
The Colfax Chronicle 1882-01-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,743 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Templeton in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

35,113 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Templeton. The most, 4,813, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 16,527
New South Wales 7,307
Queensland 6,762
South Australia 2,454
Tasmania 957
Western Australia 940
ACT (Canberra) 101
Northern Territory 5

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Templeton.

Who carried it

People named Templeton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Templeton
    William Templeton 1853–1898 · butcher
  • Rose Templeton d. 1923
  • Rose Templeton d. 2012
  • Margaret Cumberland Templeton d. 1987
  • John Templeton 1766–1825 · naturalist
  • Robert Templeton 1802–1892 · physician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Templeton,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,308 records

1,308 records of the Templeton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 514
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 223
  • Other U.S. records 571
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Howard T. Templeton

    Born 1909 in Missouri. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks; shoe factory worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Russell Heights Cemetery, Jackson, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Templeton

    Arrived at New York in 1855 aboard the Progress from Liverpool, aged 28; servant. From Co Dublin, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record David Lee Templeton

    Born 1949; from St Marys, West Virginia. U.S. Army, carpentry and masonry specialist; died in an accident 1970 in Tuyen Duc, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,308 records for Templeton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia976 records

976 records of the Templeton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 464
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 223
  • Other Australian records 289
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Campbell Templeton

    Died 1921 in White Rock, Ringarooma, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1921.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Grace Templeton

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1837. Married 1837 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Isabella Templeton

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Sea, aged 29; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 976 records for Templeton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada74 records

74 records of the Templeton name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 25
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 34
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Templeton

    Came to Ontario in 1882 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Halifax, bound for Kincardine, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lottie Victoria Templeton

    Buried in 1971 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 58.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Templeton

    Died 1908 in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 74 records for Templeton in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom57 records

57 records of the Templeton name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 31
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • Other British records 13
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Templeton

    Born 1882 at Grantown-on-Spey; electrician. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Morris Templeton

    Died 1996, aged 80; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edward Edwin Templeton

    Will proved in 1939; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 57 records for Templeton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand23 records

23 records of the Templeton name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 15
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  • Other New Zealand records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Isabel Templeton

    Died 1993, aged 64; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Barbara Matheson Templeton

    Born 1907, died 1999; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Templeton

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 23 records for Templeton in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Templeton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robert John Templeton

    Married in 1914 in 's-Gravenhage; sales agent.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robert Allan Young Templeton

    Married in 1946 in Winterswijk; engineer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Charles William Templeton

    In a population register; born 1867 in Liverpool.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Templeton in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Templeton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Templeton is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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