2000
#100,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Tallas
A Spanish surname originating from a region near Catalonia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 188 Americans carry the last name Tallas. That puts it at #113,565 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,823,161 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tallas 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
188
1 in 1,823,161
Census rank
#113,565
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
164
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 164 bearers of the surname Tallas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 113565th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallas, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (18.3%) and Hispanic (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tallas
The surname Tallas is believed to have originated in Greece, where it was likely derived from the Greek word "tallos," meaning a young branch or shoot. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked with young trees or foliage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tallas can be found in the Byzantine Empire, where it appears in historical records from the 10th century AD. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Tallasson" or "Tallasios," indicating its Greek roots.
In the 13th century, the name Tallas began to appear in various regions of Italy, particularly in the Venetian Republic and the Republic of Genoa. It is speculated that Greek traders or settlers may have brought the name to these areas during the period of the Byzantine Empire's influence in the Mediterranean.
One notable individual with the surname Tallas was Marco Tallas, a Venetian merchant and explorer who lived from 1432 to 1501. He is recorded as having traveled extensively throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant, establishing trade routes and connections for the Venetian Republic.
In the 16th century, the name Tallas also appeared in Spain, likely introduced by Greek or Italian immigrants. One prominent Spanish figure with this surname was Diego Tallas, a military commander who served under King Philip II during the Spanish Armada campaign against England in 1588.
As the centuries passed, the name Tallas continued to spread across Europe, with pockets of families bearing this surname appearing in various countries, such as France, Germany, and England. One notable Englishman with the name was Sir William Tallas, a politician and landowner who lived from 1695 to 1768 and served as a member of Parliament for several terms.
Another individual of note was the French philosopher and writer, Jean-Baptiste Tallas, who lived from 1778 to 1848. He was a prominent figure in the French Enlightenment and is known for his works on ethics, political theory, and the philosophy of science.
In more recent times, the name Tallas has also found its way to other parts of the world, likely through migration and the spread of diasporic communities. However, the focus of this report is on the historical origins and early bearers of the surname, which can be traced back to its Greek roots and its subsequent dispersal throughout Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tallas
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallas, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (18.3%) and Hispanic (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tallas 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 Tallas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.7% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native18.3% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 16
- Two or more races1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tallas
Tallas 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-36 bearers (-21.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,631 places
2020
#113,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
+33 bearers (+25.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 16,260 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,194 | 167 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | -36 bearers (-21.6%) | Down 29,631 places |
| 2020 | #113,565 | 164 | 0.05 | +33 bearers (+25.2%) | Up 16,260 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 Tallas 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 | #129,825 | #113,565 | 12.5% |
| Count | 131 | 164 | 25.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 37.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tallas bearers went from 131 to 164 (+25.2% change). The surname moved up 16,260 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #113,565.
FAQ
Tallas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tallas?
Name Census estimates that about 188 living Americans carry the surname Tallas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,823,161 residents.
How common is Tallas?
Tallas ranks #113,565 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 164 people with the surname Tallas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Tallas.
Has Tallas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tallas went from 131 recorded bearers to 164. That is an increase of 33 (+25.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #129,825 to #113,565.
What does the Census say about the background of Tallas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallas, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (18.3%) and Hispanic (9.8%). 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 Tallas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tallas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (18.3%), Hispanic (9.8%). 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 Tallas (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 Tallas mean?
A Spanish surname originating from a region near Catalonia. 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 Tallas (0.05 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 Tallas?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Tallas is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.