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

Tam, 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 Tam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tam in America

Tam is the 2703rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tam surname appeared 13,327 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Tam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tam 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 Tam

The surname "Tam" is believed to have originated in Scotland. It is thought to be a shortened form of the Scottish name "Thomas," which comes from the Aramaic name "Te'oma," meaning "twin." The name Thomas was introduced to Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The earliest recorded example of the surname "Tam" dates back to the 13th century. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, there is an entry for a "Thomas Tam" from Ayrshire.

During the Middle Ages, the name "Tam" was found primarily in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and Lanarkshire. It is possible that the name is derived from a place name, as there are several places in Scotland with names similar to "Tam," such as the village of Tam in Perthshire.

One notable bearer of the surname "Tam" was Walter Tam, a Scottish landowner and nobleman who lived in the 14th century. Records show that he owned land in Ayrshire and was a supporter of Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 16th century, the name "Tam" appears in the records of the Scottish Reformation. John Tam was a Protestant reformer who was involved in the translation of the Bible into Scots language. He was born around 1510 and died in 1572.

Another figure of historical significance was William Tam, a Scottish Covenanter who lived in the 17th century. He was a supporter of the Presbyterian movement and was involved in the struggle against the Episcopalian policies of the Stuart monarchs. Tam was imprisoned for his beliefs and died in prison in 1670.

In the 18th century, there was a notable Scottish poet named Walter Tam, who was born in Ayrshire in 1715 and died in 1790. He wrote poems in the Scots language and was part of the literary movement known as the Scottish Renaissance.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname "Tam" was Ralph Tam, a Scottish inventor and engineer who lived in the 19th century. He was born in 1818 and is credited with developing the first successful steam-powered tractor, which revolutionized agriculture and transportation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tam

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

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

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

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