Tampon last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Tampon

A name derived from the French word for a plug or stopper.

Tampon, 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 Tampon surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Tampon in America

Tampon is the 148244th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tampon surname appeared 102 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tampon.

The history of the last name Tampon

The surname Tampon has its origins in France, likely emerging in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "tampon," meaning a plug or stopper, which itself came from the Middle Dutch word "tampe" or "tampon," both of which carried similar meanings. The surname possibly referred to someone who made or used stoppers or plugs, or it could have been a descriptive name for someone who had a robust, 'stopping' personality.

The earliest records of the surname Tampon in France date back to the late 13th century, where it appears in various legal and ecclesiastical documents. One of the earliest examples is Jean Tampon, born around 1280, who was noted in a 1305 Parisian guild registry as a maker of wooden stoppers. This suggests that the name may have initially denoted an occupation.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in different regions of France, including Normandy and Brittany. A notable instance is Marguerite Tampon, born in 1342, who was mentioned in a legal dispute in Rouen in 1379, concerning property inheritance. This indicates the reach and establishment of the family name within French territories during this period.

The surname Tampon can also be found in the records of the Hundred Years' War. A soldier named Pierre Tampon, born in 1403, was involved in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. He served under the Duke of Alençon and was later recorded in a war pension document for his services.

Moving into the 16th century, another significant figure with this surname is Philippe Tampon, born in 1521. He was a known merchant in Bordeaux and played a vital role in the local economy. His business dealings with Spanish traders were documented in the town's commercial records in the 1560s.

The Tampon surname also appears in the religious context during the Reformation. Jeanne Tampon, born in 1578, was a notable Huguenot who fled to Geneva amidst the religious upheavals in France. Her family’s exodus and settlement are documented in Geneva's refugee records from 1602.

As the surname developed over centuries, its variations have been noted in several documents and literature, although the core form of the name has largely remained consistent. There have not been many dramatic changes in spelling, which helps trace its history more straightforwardly through historical texts.

Overall, the surname Tampon encapsulates a blend of occupational roots and regional distribution, reflecting the diverse historical and socio-economic fabric of medieval and early modern France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tampon

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

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 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tampon was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 8.82% 9
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 63.73% 65
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 23.53% 24
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

Reference this page

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"Tampon last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 1, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tampon-surname-popularity/.

"Tampon last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tampon-surname-popularity/. Accessed 1 July, 2025

Tampon last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tampon-surname-popularity/.

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