2000
#28,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Very Rare Last name
Tacy
Of Celtic origin, possibly derived from the Irish surname Tadhg meaning "poet" or "philosopher".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 773 Americans carry the last name Tacy. That puts it at #35,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 443,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tacy 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
773
1 in 443,408
Census rank
#35,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
674
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 674 bearers of the surname Tacy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tacy
The surname TACY has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tæcci," which translates to "sturdy" or "tough." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who possessed a hardy or robust physical stature.
The earliest recorded instance of the TACY name can be traced back to the Hertfordshire county in 1565, where a certain John Tacy was listed in the county's parish records. In the same region, around the year 1587, a record mentions a William Tacy residing in the village of Ashwell.
One notable historical reference to the TACY name is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named Radulfus Taci, whose name is believed to be an early spelling variation of TACY.
During the 17th century, the TACY name spread across various parts of England, with records indicating a concentration in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. In 1642, a Thomas Tacy was listed as a landowner in the village of Stotfold, Bedfordshire.
Throughout history, several individuals bearing the TACY surname have made notable contributions in various fields. One such figure was Sir Thomas Tacy (1592-1668), a prominent merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1654. Another was Rev. William Tacy (1617-1692), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works during his lifetime.
In the realm of literature, Edward Tacy (1723-1795) was a renowned poet and playwright, best known for his satirical works that critiqued the social and political climate of 18th century England. Meanwhile, in the field of science, Sarah Tacy (1789-1865) was a pioneering botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
The TACY name also found its way across the Atlantic, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the American colonies as early as the 17th century. One such individual was John Tacy (1645-1718), a farmer and landowner who settled in Virginia and played a role in the establishment of the local community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tacy
Among Census respondents with the surname Tacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tacy 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 Tacy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 630
- Two or more races3.1% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 14
- Black or African American0.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tacy
Tacy 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
#31,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 723
-83 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 3,901 places
2020
#35,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 674
-49 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 3,927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,005 | 806 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,906 | 723 | 0.25 | -83 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 3,901 places |
| 2020 | #35,833 | 674 | 0.23 | -49 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 3,927 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 Tacy 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 | #31,906 | #35,833 | -12.3% |
| Count | 723 | 674 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.23 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tacy bearers went from 723 to 674 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 3,927 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,906 to #35,833.
FAQ
Tacy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tacy?
Name Census estimates that about 773 living Americans carry the surname Tacy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 443,408 residents.
How common is Tacy?
Tacy ranks #35,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 674 people with the surname Tacy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (773), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Tacy.
Has Tacy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tacy went from 723 recorded bearers to 674. That is a decrease of 49 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,906 to #35,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Tacy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tacy, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Tacy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tacy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Tacy (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 Tacy mean?
Of Celtic origin, possibly derived from the Irish surname Tadhg meaning "poet" or "philosopher". 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 Tacy (0.23 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 Tacy?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Tacy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.