2000
#2,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.58
Uncommon Last name
Tabor
An English occupational surname referring to a drummer or one who plays the tabor, a small drum.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,834 Americans carry the last name Tabor. That puts it at #2,418 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tabor 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tabor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,361
Census rank
#2,418
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,680 bearers of the surname Tabor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2418th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tabor
The surname Tabor originated in England, with records dating back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tabor," which referred to a small drum used in medieval times. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for a drummer or drummer-maker.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Tabor or similar spellings, such as Taborere or Taborour. These early records suggest the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tabor was Robert le Taborur, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1170. The Pipe Rolls were medieval financial records kept by the English Exchequer.
In the 13th century, the surname Tabor appeared in various forms, including Taborur, Tabborer, and Taburrer, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. Some early bearers of the name included William le Taburer, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1207, and Henry le Tabborer, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1279.
The surname Tabor may also have derived from place names, such as Tabor Hill in Buckinghamshire or Tabor Manor in Gloucestershire. In these cases, the name likely referred to someone who lived near or was associated with these locations.
Notable individuals with the surname Tabor throughout history include:
1. John Tabor (c. 1370-1450), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset in the 15th century.
2. Sir Robert Tabor (c. 1500-1558), an English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1557.
3. William Tabor (c. 1520-1593), an English Protestant clergyman who served as Dean of St. Asaph's Cathedral in Wales.
4. Henry Tabor (1584-1654), an English colonist and one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts, in the early 17th century.
5. Francis Tabor (1769-1835), an English Quaker and abolitionist who worked to end the slave trade in the British Empire.
While the surname Tabor has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by migration and immigration over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tabor
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tabor 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 Tabor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 11,997
- Black or African American7.9% · 1,164
- Two or more races4.4% · 641
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 578
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 180
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tabor
Tabor 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
#2,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,445
+387 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 5.24
Rank movement Down 147 places
2020
#2,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,680
-765 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 4.91
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,213 | 15,058 | 5.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,360 | 15,445 | 5.24 | +387 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 147 places |
| 2020 | #2,418 | 14,680 | 4.91 | -765 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 58 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 Tabor 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 | #2,360 | #2,418 | -2.5% |
| Count | 15,445 | 14,680 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.24 | 4.91 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tabor bearers went from 15,445 to 14,680 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,360 to #2,418.
FAQ
Tabor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tabor?
Name Census estimates that about 16,834 living Americans carry the surname Tabor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,361 residents.
How common is Tabor?
Tabor ranks #2,418 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,680 people with the surname Tabor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,834), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Tabor.
Has Tabor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tabor went from 15,445 recorded bearers to 14,680. That is a decrease of 765 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,360 to #2,418.
What does the Census say about the background of Tabor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Tabor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (11,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tabor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Tabor (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 Tabor mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a drummer or one who plays the tabor, a small drum. 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 Tabor (4.91 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 Tabor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.