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

Tarbet, 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 Tarbet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tarbet in America

Tarbet is the 28241st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tarbet surname appeared 847 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tarbet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tarbet to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tarbet

The surname Tarbet is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the place name Tarbert, which is derived from the Gaelic words "tair" meaning "across" and "bairt" meaning "shoulder of land," referring to a narrow isthmus or neck of land between two bodies of water.

The name Tarbert is found in various locations across Scotland, including Argyll, Kintyre, and the Hebrides Islands. The earliest recorded instance of the surname Tarbet appears in the parish records of Kilcalmonell, Argyllshire, in the late 1500s.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Tarbet was John Tarbet, a merchant from Glasgow, who was mentioned in the Burgh Records of Glasgow in 1638. Another notable figure was Archibald Tarbet, a minister in the Church of Scotland, who served as the minister of Kilmarnock from 1677 to 1708.

In the 18th century, the Tarbet surname was prevalent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas of Argyll and Perthshire. One notable individual from this period was James Tarbet, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and was later imprisoned for his involvement.

Moving into the 19th century, the Tarbet name is found in various historical records, including census records and parish registers. One noteworthy individual was John Tarbet, a Scottish novelist and poet born in 1832, who wrote several works depicting life in the Scottish Highlands.

Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Tarbet, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist born in 1859, who made significant contributions to the development of Glasgow and was knighted for his services in 1902.

Throughout history, the Tarbet surname has been associated with various place names and alternative spellings, such as Tarbert, Tarbett, and Tarbat. While the name has Scottish roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tarbet

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

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 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tarbet was:

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tarbet has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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