2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tangi
An Armenian surname potentially derived from the name of an ancient village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Tangi. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tangi 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Tangi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tangi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (38.8%) and Black (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tangi
The surname Tangi is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Tamil Nadu. It is derived from the Tamil word "Tangi," which means "younger brother" or "junior." The name likely emerged as a way to distinguish between siblings or to denote a younger family member.
During the medieval period, the name Tangi was prevalent among the Tamil communities in South India. It is found in several ancient Tamil literary works and inscriptions dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries AD. One notable example is the Thanjavur inscriptions, which mention individuals with the surname Tangi.
In the 12th century, a Tamil scholar and poet named Kamban Tangi gained recognition for his literary works, including his renowned translation of the Hindu epic Ramayana into Tamil verse. He was born in the year 1180 AD and is considered one of the greatest poets in the Tamil literary tradition.
The name Tangi also appears in historical records from the Chola Dynasty, which ruled over parts of South India between the 9th and 13th centuries. Several inscriptions and copper plates from this period mention individuals with the Tangi surname, indicating their presence in the royal court or administrative roles.
Another notable figure with the surname Tangi was Sivaji Tangi, a renowned warrior and military leader from the 16th century. He served under the Vijayanagar Empire and played a crucial role in the empire's defense against external threats.
In the 18th century, a Tamil scholar and writer named Vedanayaka Sastri Tangi gained prominence for his works on Tamil grammar and literature. He was born in the year 1730 and contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Tamil culture and language.
While the surname Tangi is predominantly found in Tamil communities, it has also been adopted by other ethnic groups in South India due to cultural and linguistic interactions. Over time, variations in spelling and pronunciation have emerged, such as Thangi, Tangee, and Tanghee.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tangi
Among Census respondents with the surname Tangi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (38.8%) and Black (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tangi 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 Tangi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.3% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander38.8% · 47
- Black or African American7.4% · 9
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tangi
Tangi 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+12 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,071 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 2,071 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,597 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 Tangi 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 | #134,712 | #141,309 | -4.9% |
| Count | 125 | 121 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tangi bearers went from 125 to 121 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,597 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Tangi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tangi?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Tangi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Tangi?
Tangi ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Tangi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tangi.
Has Tangi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tangi went from 125 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Tangi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tangi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (38.8%) and Black (7.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tangi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.3% (56 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tangi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (38.8%), Black (7.4%). 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 Tangi (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 Tangi mean?
An Armenian surname potentially derived from the name of an ancient village. 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 Tangi (0.04 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 are called Tangi?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Tangi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.