2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tabing
A surname of Filipino origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "shore" or "riverbank."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Tabing. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tabing 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Tabing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tabing
The surname TABING originated in the Philippines, specifically in the Visayan region of the central Philippines. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th century, when Spanish colonizers were establishing settlements and converting the local population to Christianity.
The name TABING is thought to be derived from the Visayan word "tabing," which means "edge" or "border." It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals or families who lived on the outskirts or borders of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TABING can be found in the "Libro de Bautismos" (Book of Baptisms) of the town of Cebu, dating back to the late 16th century. This document contains records of baptisms performed by Spanish missionaries, including individuals with the surname TABING.
In the 17th century, the name TABING appears in historical records related to land ownership and taxation in the Visayan region. Some notable individuals with this surname during this time period include Juan TABING, a landowner in the town of Bogo, and Maria TABING, a resident of the town of Argao.
During the 18th century, the surname TABING spread to other parts of the Philippines, particularly in the Tagalog region around Manila. One notable figure from this era was Pedro TABING, a merchant and trader who was active in the Manila galleon trade between the Philippines and Mexico.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname TABING achieved prominence in various fields. Mariano TABING (1820-1892) was a renowned writer and poet who contributed to the development of Visayan literature. Josefa TABING (1845-1912) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's education in the Philippines.
Other notable individuals with the surname TABING include Fernando TABING (1901-1978), a respected lawyer and judge, and Arturo TABING (1915-1995), a renowned artist and sculptor whose works are displayed in various museums in the Philippines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tabing
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tabing 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 Tabing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander55.6% · 65
- White27.4% · 32
- Two or more races10.3% · 12
- Black or African American3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tabing
Tabing appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,943 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 Tabing 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 | #137,327 | #144,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tabing bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #144,270.
FAQ
Tabing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tabing?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Tabing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Tabing?
Tabing ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Tabing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Tabing.
Has Tabing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tabing went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Tabing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (27.4%) and Two or More Races (10.3%). 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 Tabing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (65 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tabing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (55.6%), White (27.4%), Two or More Races (10.3%). 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 Tabing (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 Tabing mean?
A surname of Filipino origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "shore" or "riverbank." 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 Tabing (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 common is the surname Tabing?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Tabing is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.