2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Itow
A surname likely derived from an English place name or a contracted form of a longer surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Itow. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Itow 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Itow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Itow, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (11.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Itow
The surname ITOW originates from England, specifically the county of Yorkshire, where it first appeared in historical records during the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "itow," which means "wild celery" or "smallage." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near areas where these plants grew abundantly or were engaged in the cultivation or trade of these crops.
One of the earliest documented references to the ITOW surname can be found in the Yorkshire Pipe Rolls of 1292, where a person named Willelmus Itow is mentioned. This record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage in the region during that period.
In the 14th century, the ITOW surname appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists individuals by name for tax purposes. This document includes entries for Robert Itow and John Itow, indicating the continued presence of the name in the area.
The ITOW surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Itowe, Ittowe, and Ittow. These variations were common due to the inconsistent nature of spelling and record-keeping practices in earlier times.
Among the notable individuals who bore the ITOW surname throughout history are:
1. William Itow (c. 1340 - 1405), a wealthy landowner and merchant from York, who was recorded as owning several properties and businesses in the city during his lifetime.
2. Margery Itow (c. 1375 - 1440), a prominent figure in the wool trade in Yorkshire, known for her successful business ventures and philanthropic contributions to local charities.
3. John Itow (c. 1520 - 1588), a renowned scholar and theologian from Yorkshire, who authored several treatises on religious philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Oxford.
4. Thomas Itow (c. 1650 - 1712), a skilled architect and stonemason from Yorkshire, who was involved in the construction of several notable churches and buildings in the region during the 17th century.
5. Elizabeth Itow (c. 1780 - 1856), a philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire, who dedicated her life to improving the lives of the underprivileged and advocating for better living conditions in industrial towns.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence and significance of the ITOW surname in various areas of English society throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Itow
Among Census respondents with the surname Itow, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (11.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Itow 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 Itow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.6% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino13.1% · 14
- Two or more races11.2% · 12
- White10.3% · 11
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Itow
Itow 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,484 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-14 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,484 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 13,335 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 Itow 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 | #138,304 | #151,639 | -9.6% |
| Count | 121 | 107 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Itow bearers went from 121 to 107 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 13,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #151,639.
FAQ
Itow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Itow?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Itow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Itow?
Itow ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Itow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Itow.
Has Itow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Itow went from 121 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Itow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Itow, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.1%) and Two or More Races (11.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Itow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.6% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Itow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.6%), Hispanic (13.1%), Two or More Races (11.2%). 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 Itow (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 Itow mean?
A surname likely derived from an English place name or a contracted form of a longer surname. 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 Itow (0.04 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 have the last name Itow?
Want to know how many people have the last name Itow? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.