The Terranova surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,271 people carried this name — #9,884 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 90,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 3,251 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Terranova surname
From terra (“land”) + nova (“new”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Terranova» (Italian), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 805 people named Terranova live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 205 people named Terranova.
Most of them — 159 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 19 départements, most often Bouches-du-Rhône.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
179 people named Terranova live in Switzerland.
They live in 14 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 113 people named Terranova live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Terranova in American newspapers,
1912–1915.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.
Who carried it
People named Terranova,
with a public archive behind them.
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Ciro Terranova 1887–1938 · gangster -
Ciro Terranova 1887–1938 · gangster
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Josephine Terranova 1889–1981
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Vincenzo Terranova 1886–1922 · organized crime
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Vincenzo Terranova 1886–1922 · organized crime
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Raffaele Terranova 1898–1974 · politician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Terranova.
- Ternet 138 · U.S. census
- Ternus 320 · U.S. census
- Teron 173 · U.S. census
- Terra 1,124 · U.S. census
- Terral 639 · U.S. census
- Terrana 595 · U.S. census
- Terras 138 · U.S. census
- Terre 154 · U.S. census
- Terres 353 · U.S. census
- Terrible 101 · U.S. census
- Terrien 694 · U.S. census
- Terrier 165 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Terranova 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.