2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tabbutt
An occupational surname derived from the word "tabby" referring to someone who worked with napped cloth or fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tabbutt. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tabbutt 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Tabbutt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabbutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tabbutt
The surname Tabbutt is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now-lost place name, possibly referring to a small hamlet or settlement.
One theory suggests that the name Tabbutt may have evolved from an Old English phrase such as "tæppa-bytt," meaning "tap-house" or "tavern." This could imply that the name's earliest bearers were associated with the tavern trade or lived near a local inn or alehouse.
Another possibility is that Tabbutt is derived from a surname like "Tabor," which itself may have originated from the Old French word "tabour," meaning a small drum or tabor. This could indicate that an early bearer of the name was a drummer or musician.
The earliest known recorded instance of the Tabbutt surname dates back to the late 16th century, with John Tabbutt appearing in the parish records of Peterborough, Northamptonshire, in 1592. Another early record is that of William Tabbutt, whose daughter Anne was christened in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, in 1599.
In the 17th century, the Tabbutt surname can be found in various parts of England, including Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. One notable individual was Thomas Tabbutt (1615-1677), a Puritan clergyman who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Saffron Walden, Essex.
During the 18th century, the Tabbutt family appeared to have a presence in both rural and urban areas of England. For example, John Tabbutt (1725-1796) was a farmer from Spalding, Lincolnshire, while William Tabbutt (1765-1842) was a clockmaker and watchmaker based in London.
In the 19th century, the Tabbutt surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with individuals pursuing diverse occupations. One notable figure was Charles Tabbutt (1808-1888), a prominent English architect who designed several churches and other buildings in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
While the exact origins of the Tabbutt surname remain uncertain, it has a rich history in England, particularly in the eastern and central regions of the country. The name has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, farmers, tradesmen, and professionals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tabbutt
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabbutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tabbutt 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 Tabbutt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino16.7% · 18
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tabbutt
Tabbutt 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,609 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,707 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,609 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 11,707 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 Tabbutt 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 | #139,228 | #150,935 | -8.4% |
| Count | 120 | 108 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tabbutt bearers went from 120 to 108 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 11,707 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tabbutt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tabbutt?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tabbutt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tabbutt?
Tabbutt ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Tabbutt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Tabbutt.
Has Tabbutt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tabbutt went from 120 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tabbutt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabbutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Tabbutt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tabbutt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Hispanic (16.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Tabbutt (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 Tabbutt mean?
An occupational surname derived from the word "tabby" referring to someone who worked with napped cloth or fabric. 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 Tabbutt (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 share the surname Tabbutt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.