2000
#13,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Tarbox
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of tar or a box maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,201 Americans carry the last name Tarbox. That puts it at #14,827 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarbox 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 Tarbox with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 155,727
Census rank
#14,827
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,919 bearers of the surname Tarbox in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14827th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarbox, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarbox
The surname Tarbox has its origins in England, where it emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "terr" meaning to tear or rend, and "box" referring to a type of container or chest. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational one, possibly referring to someone who worked with tearing or rending boxes, such as a cooper or barrel maker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which lists a John Terrebocc. This variation in spelling highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that time, as they were often based on spoken pronunciation rather than standardized spellings.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Terrebogh, Terrebogh, and Terrebought, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. These variations can be found in medieval records such as the Subsidy Rolls and the Lay Subsidy Rolls.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Tarbox, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War with France in the mid-14th century. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.
Another prominent figure was William Tarbox, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 15th century. He was mentioned in various city records and played an influential role in the governance of the city during that time.
In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various places across England, including in the Parish Registers of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Tarbox was recorded in 1587. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a Robert Tarbox was listed in 1523.
During the 17th century, the Tarbox family became established in the county of Norfolk, with records showing several members of the family holding positions of prominence in local affairs. One notable figure from this period was John Tarbox, a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace who lived in the village of Reepham in the late 1600s.
As the centuries progressed, the Tarbox name continued to spread across various regions of England, with individuals bearing the surname making contributions in various fields, including agriculture, trade, and public service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarbox
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarbox, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarbox 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 Tarbox surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,783
- Two or more races3.5% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarbox
Tarbox 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
#14,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,055
+17 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 857 places
2020
#14,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,919
-136 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,654 | 2,038 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,511 | 2,055 | 0.70 | +17 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 857 places |
| 2020 | #14,827 | 1,919 | 0.64 | -136 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 316 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 Tarbox 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 | #14,511 | #14,827 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,055 | 1,919 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.64 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarbox bearers went from 2,055 to 1,919 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 316 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,511 to #14,827.
FAQ
Tarbox surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarbox?
Name Census estimates that about 2,201 living Americans carry the surname Tarbox. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,727 residents.
How common is Tarbox?
Tarbox ranks #14,827 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,919 people with the surname Tarbox. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tarbox.
Has Tarbox become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarbox went from 2,055 recorded bearers to 1,919. That is a decrease of 136 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,511 to #14,827.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarbox?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarbox, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) 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 Tarbox in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,783 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarbox appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), 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 Tarbox (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 Tarbox mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of tar or a box maker. 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 Tarbox (0.64 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 Americans have the surname Tarbox?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.