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

Taliaferro, 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 Taliaferro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Taliaferro in America

Taliaferro is the 8364th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Taliaferro surname appeared 3,959 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Taliaferro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Taliaferro 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 Taliaferro

The surname Taliaferro originated in Italy and derives from the Italian words "tagliaferro," meaning "iron cutter." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have worked as blacksmiths or in a similar metal-working trade. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, a time when surnames based on occupations were common.

The Taliaferro surname can be traced back to the 12th century in records from the Republic of Venice. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in a 1187 document from the city of Treviso, which mentions a man named Giacomo Taliaferro, a blacksmith by trade.

As the name spread beyond Italy, it took on various spellings, including Taliaferri, Taliaferrae, and Talliaferro. In France, the name was sometimes rendered as Tailleferre or Taillefer, reflecting the French language's influence on the Italian surname.

The Taliaferro name eventually made its way to England, likely carried by Italian immigrants or traders. One of the earliest English records of the name dates back to the 14th century, when a John Taliaferro was listed in the Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Taliaferro name gained prominence in England and Scotland. Notable individuals from this period include:

1. Richard Taliaferro (c. 1535-1601), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. James Taliaferro (1568-1639), a Scottish landowner and Member of Parliament for Linlithgowshire.

The Taliaferro surname later spread to the Americas, particularly Virginia and other colonial settlements. Some prominent Taliaferros from this era include:

1. Robert Taliaferro (c. 1630-1687), an early settler in Virginia and member of the House of Burgesses.
2. John Taliaferro (1677-1720), a planter and merchant in colonial Virginia.
3. Benjamin Taliaferro (1735-1798), an American Revolutionary War officer and politician from Virginia.

In later centuries, the Taliaferro name continued to be represented by notable figures, such as:

1. William Booth Taliaferro (1782-1852), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Virginia.
2. William Hay Taliaferro (1818-1880), an American lawyer, politician, and Confederate officer during the Civil War.

Today, the Taliaferro surname remains widespread, particularly in the United States, with concentrations in states like Virginia, Texas, and California.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Taliaferro

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

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 Taliaferro 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 Taliaferro 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 Taliaferro was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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