2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Talma
A surname derived from the Hebrew word "talmid" meaning student or disciple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Talma. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Talma 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Talma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Talma, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Talma
The surname "Talma" is believed to have originated in Sweden during the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old Swedish word "talmor" or "talmi", which referred to a type of mica or a mineral resembling mica. This suggests that the name may have been associated with mining or mineral-related activities in its early history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 16th century, where it appears as "Talma" or "Talmå". Some variations, such as "Talmor" and "Talmor", can also be found in these records.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name seems to have spread beyond Sweden, with records showing instances of the surname in neighboring Nordic countries like Denmark and Norway. It is possible that this spread was due to migration or trade connections between these regions.
In the 19th century, there are records of individuals bearing the surname "Talma" in other parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. This may have been due to further migration or the influence of Swedish communities in these areas.
Notable individuals with the surname "Talma" throughout history include:
1. Frans Talma (1624-1681), a Dutch actor and playwright who was considered one of the most influential figures in the early development of modern theater in the Netherlands.
2. Johanna Talma (1732-1798), a Swedish painter known for her portraiture and still-life works, which were highly regarded during her lifetime.
3. Gustave Talma (1810-1884), a French painter and illustrator who specialized in historical and military scenes. He was born in Paris and received several prestigious commissions during his career.
4. Henrik Talma (1872-1943), a Norwegian architect who designed several notable buildings in Oslo, including the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.
5. Karin Talma (1903-1987), a Swedish author and journalist who wrote extensively about social issues and was active in the women's rights movement in Sweden during the mid-20th century.
While there may be other notable individuals with the surname "Talma" throughout history, these examples provide a glimpse into the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Talma
Among Census respondents with the surname Talma, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Talma 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 Talma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino18.4% · 19
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Talma
Talma appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Talma 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Talma bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Talma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Talma?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Talma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Talma?
Talma ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Talma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Talma.
Has Talma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Talma went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Talma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Talma, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Talma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Talma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Hispanic (18.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Talma (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 Talma mean?
A surname derived from the Hebrew word "talmid" meaning student or disciple. 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 Talma (0.03 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 Talma?
You can see how many people have the surname Talma on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.