2000
#2,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.50
Uncommon Last name
Tamayo
A Basque and Galician surname likely derived from the place name Amayo, meaning "mother river" or "river bed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,989 Americans carry the last name Tamayo. That puts it at #2,126 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,050 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tamayo 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 Tamayo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,050
Census rank
#2,126
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,559 bearers of the surname Tamayo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2126th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.1%) and White (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tamayo
The surname Tamayo originates from Spain, with its roots traced back to the 8th century during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "tamr," meaning date palm, suggesting a possible connection to regions known for date cultivation.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tamayo can be found in medieval Spanish documents, such as the Becerro de las Behetrias de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript that served as a census of landowners and their properties. Some of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name include Diego Tamayo, a nobleman mentioned in a 1389 royal charter, and Juan Tamayo, a respected scholar from Seville in the late 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Tamayo surname gained prominence as several individuals made significant contributions to various fields. One notable figure was Francisco Tamayo de Mendoza (1588-1658), a Spanish poet and dramatist renowned for his works such as "El nacimiento del Alba" and "El Hijo de la Piedra." Another was Juan de Tamayo Salazar (1600-1668), a renowned historian and writer who authored the influential work "Anamnesis, sive Commemoratio omnium sanctorum Hispanorum."
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Tamayo surname traveled across the Atlantic to the Americas. In Mexico, the name became particularly widespread, with several prominent figures emerging. One such individual was Juan Ignacio María de Castorena y Ursúa Tamayo (1744-1825), a military officer and governor of Nuevo León and Coahuila. Another was Manuel Payno Tamayo (1810-1894), a renowned writer and politician who served as the Minister of Finance under President Benito Juárez.
The Tamayo surname has also left its mark in other parts of the world. In the Philippines, where Spanish influence was significant, the name can be found, with individuals like Benigno S. Aquino Tamayo (1877-1951), a respected educator and author, contributing to the country's intellectual and cultural landscape.
Throughout history, the Tamayo surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from nobility and military figures to scholars, writers, and artists. While its origins can be traced back to the Moorish occupation of Spain, the name has since spread across continents, carrying with it a rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamayo
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.1%) and White (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tamayo 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 Tamayo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.7% · 13,698
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.1% · 1,666
- White5.4% · 890
- Two or more races1.1% · 186
- Black or African American0.5% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tamayo
Tamayo 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
#2,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,474
+4,344 bearers (+35.8%)
Per 100,000 5.58
Rank movement Up 519 places
2020
#2,126
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,559
+85 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 5.54
Rank movement Up 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,729 | 12,130 | 4.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,210 | 16,474 | 5.58 | +4,344 bearers (+35.8%) | Up 519 places |
| 2020 | #2,126 | 16,559 | 5.54 | +85 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 84 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 Tamayo 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 | #2,210 | #2,126 | 3.8% |
| Count | 16,474 | 16,559 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.58 | 5.54 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tamayo bearers went from 16,474 to 16,559 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,210 to #2,126.
FAQ
Tamayo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tamayo?
Name Census estimates that about 18,989 living Americans carry the surname Tamayo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,050 residents.
How common is Tamayo?
Tamayo ranks #2,126 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,559 people with the surname Tamayo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Tamayo.
Has Tamayo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tamayo went from 16,474 recorded bearers to 16,559. That is an increase of 85 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,210 to #2,126.
What does the Census say about the background of Tamayo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamayo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.1%) and White (5.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tamayo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (13,698 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tamayo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.1%), White (5.4%). 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 Tamayo (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 Tamayo mean?
A Basque and Galician surname likely derived from the place name Amayo, meaning "mother river" or "river bed." 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 Tamayo (5.54 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 Tamayo?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Tamayo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.