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

Tarlton, 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 Tarlton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tarlton in America

Tarlton is the 14591st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tarlton surname appeared 2,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tarlton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tarlton 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 Tarlton

The surname Tarlton originates from England, and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Tarlton, which is found in several counties across England, including Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Berkshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "tær" meaning torn or tattered, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting it may have referred to a settlement or farm with a torn or dilapidated fence or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentioned a Richard de Tarlton. The Tarlton surname also appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292, indicating its presence in various parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, the name gained fame through the comedic actor Richard Tarlton, who was born around 1530 and died in 1588. He was a renowned clown and one of the most popular entertainers of his time, performing in plays and entertainments at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. His fame helped to further establish the Tarlton surname in English history.

Another notable figure was John Tarlton, a 17th-century English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1628. He was born in 1592 and died in 1642.

In the 18th century, Samuel Tarlton (1752-1834) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his service.

Moving into the 19th century, John Tarlton (1804-1886) was a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects, including the design of Croydon Town Hall in London.

Throughout its history, the Tarlton surname has been associated with various locations in England, including the villages of Tarlton in Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire, as well as the manor of Tarlton in Berkshire. While the name has evolved and spread over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to these early place names and their Old English origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tarlton

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

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

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

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