2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Rare Last name
Tamang
A surname of Nepali origin referring to an ethnic group inhabiting the Himalayan regions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,991 Americans carry the last name Tamang. That puts it at #4,372 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tamang 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tamang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,122
Census rank
#4,372
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,841 bearers of the surname Tamang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4372nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tamang
The surname Tamang is of Nepali origin, traced back to the Tamang people, an indigenous ethnic group predominantly residing in the hills and mountainous regions of Nepal. The name is believed to have originated during the medieval period, when the Tamang communities established their presence in the central and eastern parts of the country.
The etymology of the name Tamang is shrouded in some uncertainty, but it is widely believed to be derived from the Tibetan word "Tam," meaning "horse," and the suffix "ang," which signifies "people" or "tribe." This suggests that the Tamang people may have been associated with horse breeding or horse trading in their early history.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Tamang name can be found in the chronicles of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal, who unified the various principalities in the late 18th century. His writings refer to the Tamang people as a distinct ethnic group inhabiting the hills of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions.
Notable individuals bearing the Tamang surname include Lal Bahadur Tamang, a renowned Nepali poet and writer who lived from 1934 to 2014. His works, which explored themes of identity, culture, and social issues, earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Tribhuvan Rashtriya Mala award.
Another prominent figure is Pemba Tamang, a celebrated mountaineer and guide who summited Mount Everest multiple times between 1994 and 2009. His expertise and bravery in leading expeditions through treacherous Himalayan terrain have earned him recognition worldwide.
In the realm of politics, Bidhya Devi Tamang, born in 1941, made history by becoming the first female member of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal in 2008. Her advocacy for women's rights and representation in governance has been instrumental in shaping Nepal's political landscape.
Ang Tsering Tamang, born in 1954, is a renowned artist and sculptor whose works have been exhibited globally. His intricate carvings and sculptures, often depicting traditional Tamang motifs and cultural themes, have brought international acclaim to Nepali art.
Lastly, Chhiring Tamang, born in 1967, is a distinguished Nepali actor and filmmaker who has received critical acclaim for his roles in both Nepali and international productions. His powerful performances have shed light on the rich cultural heritage and experiences of the Tamang community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamang
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tamang 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 Tamang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.9% · 7,601
- Two or more races1.3% · 102
- White1.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 34
- Black or African American0.2% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tamang
Tamang 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
#23,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,105
+977 bearers (+763.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 101,009 places
2020
#4,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,841
+6,736 bearers (+609.6%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Up 18,728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,100 | 1,105 | 0.37 | +977 bearers (+763.3%) | Up 101,009 places |
| 2020 | #4,372 | 7,841 | 2.62 | +6,736 bearers (+609.6%) | Up 18,728 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 Tamang 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 | #23,100 | #4,372 | 81.1% |
| Count | 1,105 | 7,841 | 609.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 2.62 | 609.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tamang bearers went from 1,105 to 7,841 (+609.6% change). The surname moved up 18,728 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,100 to #4,372.
FAQ
Tamang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tamang?
Name Census estimates that about 8,991 living Americans carry the surname Tamang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,122 residents.
How common is Tamang?
Tamang ranks #4,372 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,841 people with the surname Tamang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Tamang.
Has Tamang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tamang went from 1,105 recorded bearers to 7,841. That is an increase of 6,736 (+609.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,100 to #4,372.
What does the Census say about the background of Tamang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (1.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tamang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (7,601 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tamang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.9%), Two or More Races (1.3%), White (1.0%). 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 Tamang (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 Tamang mean?
A surname of Nepali origin referring to an ethnic group inhabiting the Himalayan regions. 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 Tamang (2.62 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 surname Tamang?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.