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

Tarby, 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 Tarby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tarby in America

Tarby is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tarby surname appeared 310 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 Tarby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tarby 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 Tarby

The surname Tarby has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "tyr" meaning tar or resin, and "by" meaning a dwelling or village, suggesting that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a tar pit or worked with tar.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Tarby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1188, where a Robert de Terberia is listed. This indicates that the name was present in that region during the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Tarby, Terby, and Terbie, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Terby in Lincolnshire, while the Placita de Quo Warranto of 1292 lists a Walter de Terby in Nottinghamshire.

The Tarby name has its roots in several place names across England, including Tarby in Lincolnshire and Terby in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely served as the origin points for families who adopted the surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Tarby. One of the earliest was William Tarby, born in 1425 in Lincolnshire, who served as a member of the local gentry. In the 16th century, John Tarby (1524-1592) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Nottinghamshire.

During the 17th century, the Tarby name gained prominence with the birth of Edward Tarby (1635-1704), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Oxford. Another notable figure was Richard Tarby (1678-1745), a successful businessman and landowner in Lincolnshire.

In the 18th century, the Tarby family continued to make their mark, with the birth of William Tarby (1712-1788), a respected lawyer and judge who presided over several high-profile cases in London's courts.

While the surname Tarby is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries, with roots in various parts of the country and associations with notable individuals from various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tarby

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

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

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

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