Find out how popular the last name Tacoma is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tacoma.

Tacoma, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tacoma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tacoma in America

Tacoma is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tacoma surname appeared 144 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tacoma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tacoma to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tacoma

The surname Tacoma originated from a Native American word meaning "mother of waters" or "great waters". It is derived from the Salish language spoken by the Puyallup Tribe of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The name was initially used to refer to the area near the present-day city of Tacoma, Washington, which was founded in the late 19th century.

The earliest recorded use of the name Tacoma can be traced back to the late 18th century when the region was being explored by European settlers. In 1792, British explorer George Vancouver referred to the area as "Tah-cho-bid" in his journal, which was likely an anglicized version of the Puyallup word.

One of the first notable individuals to bear the surname Tacoma was Chief Leschi (c. 1808–1858), a prominent leader of the Nisqually and Puyallup tribes. He played a significant role in the resistance against the encroachment of settlers on Native American lands, leading to the Puget Sound War in 1855-1856.

Another historical figure associated with the name Tacoma was Theodore Winthrop (1828–1861), an American author and traveler. In his book "The Canoe and the Saddle" published in 1863, he provided one of the earliest written accounts of the region, describing it as "a land of brownie and elf, of undine and naiad, of mermaid and oceanid".

In the late 19th century, the city of Tacoma was founded and named after the Native American word, solidifying its place in the region's history. One of the earliest residents with the surname Tacoma was John Tacoma (1845–1920), a member of the Puyallup Tribe who worked as a guide and interpreter for settlers.

Another notable figure was Chief Leschi's grandson, William Tacoma (1865–1942), who worked to preserve the traditions and culture of his tribe. He was instrumental in establishing the Puyallup Tribal School and advocating for Native American rights.

While the surname Tacoma is relatively rare, it holds significant historical and cultural significance, serving as a lasting testament to the rich heritage of the Pacific Northwest region and its indigenous inhabitants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tacoma

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tacoma.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tacoma was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tacoma has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tacoma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tacoma, please contact us.

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