2000
#97,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Tambor
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "drum" or "drummer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 259 Americans carry the last name Tambor. That puts it at #88,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,323,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tambor 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
259
1 in 1,323,376
Census rank
#88,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
226
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 226 bearers of the surname Tambor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tambor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tambor
The surname "TAMBOR" originated in Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "tambor," which means "drum" or "drummer." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who played the drum or was involved in the making of drums.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname "TAMBOR" can be found in the 13th century, in the region of Andalusia, Spain. It is believed that the name may have been associated with the Moorish influence in that area during that time period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "TAMBOR" was Juan Tambor, a drummer in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile, who reigned from 1252 to 1284. Records show that Juan Tambor was responsible for providing music during royal ceremonies and events.
In the 15th century, the name "TAMBOR" appeared in the records of the Spanish Inquisition. A man named Pedro Tambor was accused of being a crypto-Jew and was subjected to interrogation by the Inquisition in 1492.
During the 16th century, the surname "TAMBOR" began to spread beyond Spain as a result of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One notable figure was Hernando Tambor, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.
In the 17th century, a famous figure with the surname "TAMBOR" was Diego Tambor, a Spanish playwright and poet who lived from 1620 to 1690. His works were performed in the court of King Philip IV and helped to shape the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Another individual with the surname "TAMBOR" was María Tambor, a Spanish nun who lived in the 18th century. She was known for her work in establishing schools and orphanages in the city of Seville, and her efforts to educate and care for underprivileged children.
As the centuries passed, the surname "TAMBOR" continued to be found in various regions of Spain, as well as in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, where it was carried by immigrants and settlers from Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tambor
Among Census respondents with the surname Tambor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tambor 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 Tambor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 206
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tambor
Tambor 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
#91,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
+30 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 6,627 places
2020
#88,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
+24 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,948 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,848 | 172 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,221 | 202 | 0.07 | +30 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 6,627 places |
| 2020 | #88,273 | 226 | 0.08 | +24 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 2,948 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 Tambor 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 | #91,221 | #88,273 | 3.2% |
| Count | 202 | 226 | 11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tambor bearers went from 202 to 226 (+11.9% change). The surname moved up 2,948 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,221 to #88,273.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tambor
FAQ
Tambor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tambor?
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the surname Tambor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,323,376 residents.
How common is Tambor?
Tambor ranks #88,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 226 people with the surname Tambor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Tambor.
Has Tambor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tambor went from 202 recorded bearers to 226. That is an increase of 24 (+11.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #91,221 to #88,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Tambor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tambor, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Tambor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tambor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Tambor (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 Tambor mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word for "drum" or "drummer". 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 Tambor (0.08 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 Tambor?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Tambor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.