Tarkington
A surname of locational origin, derived from a place name meaning "settlement of the people called Tarkingtons".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,091 Americans carry the last name Tarkington. That puts it at #16,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarkington surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.1K
1 in 163,919
Census rank
#16,031
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,809 bearers of the surname Tarkington in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarkington
The surname Tarkington is of English origin, deriving from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "torr" meaning "rocky hill" or "tor" and "ing" meaning "meadow" or "people of", suggesting it may have referred to people living near a rocky meadow or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Torchinton". This entry refers to a location in Gloucestershire, which was likely the original place from which the surname derived. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form of Tarkington.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Torkington living in Lancashire, indicating the name had spread to other parts of England by that time. Another early bearer of the name was John Tarkington, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
One notable figure with this surname was Booton Tarkington (1869-1946), an American novelist and dramatist. He was best known for his novels "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Alice Adams", for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1919 and 1922, respectively.
Another individual of note was Sir Cedric Tarkington (1892-1953), a British diplomat and politician who served as Ambassador to Turkey from 1939 to 1944 and later as a Member of Parliament.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the form of Tarkyngton, as seen in records of a John Tarkyngton who lived in Staffordshire in 1524.
The Tarkington family also had a presence in Scotland, with records showing a William Tarkington who was a merchant in Edinburgh in the late 17th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name in America was Thomas Tarkington, who was born in England in 1608 and later immigrated to Virginia in the 1630s.
These are just a few examples of the long history and varied backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Tarkington, which has its roots in the medieval English landscape and has since spread across the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarkington
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarkington bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Tarkington surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8%
- Black or African American12.9%
- Hispanic or Latino3.1%
- Two or more races2.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Tarkington surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,031 | #16,031 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,809 | 1,809 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Tarkington bearers went from 1,809 to 1,809 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #16,031 to #16,031.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tarkington
FAQ
Tarkington surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Tarkington?
The surname Tarkington holds position #16,031 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,091 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Tarkington surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkington, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.