2000
#11,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,542
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Tafolla
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tafalla, a town in Navarre, Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,720 Americans carry the last name Tafolla. That puts it at #9,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tafolla 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
3.7K
1 in 92,138
Census rank
#9,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,244 bearers of the surname Tafolla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tafolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tafolla
The surname Tafolla originated in Spain and has its roots in the Castilian language. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "tafallo," which means a small hill or mound. The name may have been initially given as a descriptive term to someone who lived near or on a small hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tafolla can be found in the medieval records of the Kingdom of Castile and León, dating back to the 13th century. These records often referred to individuals by their place of origin or residence, and the name Tafolla was likely associated with a specific location or region within the kingdom.
During the 15th century, as the Spanish Empire expanded and colonization efforts took place, the surname Tafolla likely spread to various parts of the New World. Historical documents from this period may contain references to individuals bearing this surname, particularly in areas with significant Spanish influence and settlement.
In the 16th century, Juan Tafolla, a Spanish explorer and soldier, played a notable role in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. His participation in these events likely contributed to the dissemination of the surname Tafolla throughout the regions conquered by the Spanish conquistadors.
Another prominent figure associated with the surname Tafolla was Inés Tafolla, a renowned Spanish poet and playwright from the 17th century. Born in 1642 in Seville, Spain, she gained recognition for her literary works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the 18th century, Pedro Tafolla, a Spanish nobleman and landowner, held significant influence and wealth in the region of Andalusia. Historical records from this period may contain references to his family's holdings and activities.
As time progressed, the surname Tafolla continued to spread and evolve, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different regions and cultures. Despite these changes, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Spanish heritage and association with small hills or mounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tafolla
Among Census respondents with the surname Tafolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tafolla 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 Tafolla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.8% · 3,043
- White5.3% · 172
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
- Two or more races0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tafolla
Tafolla 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
#9,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,584
+1,042 bearers (+41.0%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 2,261 places
2020
#9,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,244
-340 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 471 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,375 | 2,542 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,114 | 3,584 | 1.22 | +1,042 bearers (+41.0%) | Up 2,261 places |
| 2020 | #9,585 | 3,244 | 1.09 | -340 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 471 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 Tafolla 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 | #9,114 | #9,585 | -5.2% |
| Count | 3,584 | 3,244 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.09 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tafolla bearers went from 3,584 to 3,244 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 471 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,114 to #9,585.
FAQ
Tafolla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tafolla?
Name Census estimates that about 3,720 living Americans carry the surname Tafolla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,138 residents.
How common is Tafolla?
Tafolla ranks #9,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,244 people with the surname Tafolla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,720), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tafolla.
Has Tafolla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tafolla went from 3,584 recorded bearers to 3,244. That is a decrease of 340 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,114 to #9,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Tafolla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tafolla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tafolla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (3,043 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tafolla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.8%), White (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Tafolla (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 Tafolla mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Tafalla, a town in Navarre, Spain. 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 Tafolla (1.09 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 have the last name Tafolla?
See how many Americans have the surname Tafolla on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.