2000
#7,420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Tarrant
Derived from a place name meaning "one who came from Tarrant," a location in Dorset, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,669 Americans carry the last name Tarrant. That puts it at #7,811 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarrant 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 Tarrant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,411
Census rank
#7,811
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,072 bearers of the surname Tarrant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7811th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarrant
The surname Tarrant originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "terrant," meaning a torrent or rapid stream. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a swift-flowing river or stream.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tarrant can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where a person named William Terrant is mentioned.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Terrant, Terraunt, and Torrant. These variations likely reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
The name Tarrant is also associated with several place names in England, including Tarrant Crawford, Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Keyneston, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Monkton, and Tarrant Rushton. These place names derive from the Old English word "terrant" and suggest that the surname may have originated from these locations.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Tarrant was Sir William Tarrant (c. 1350 - c. 1420), an English soldier and landowner from Wiltshire. He served in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his military service.
Another prominent figure was Sir John Tarrant (c. 1520 - 1589), an English politician and landowner from Norfolk. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his involvement in local affairs.
In the 17th century, John Tarrant (1633 - 1692) was an English Puritan clergyman and author. He wrote several religious works and was known for his nonconformist views.
During the 18th century, Benjamin Tarrant (1754 - 1832) was an English engraver and publisher. He is best known for his engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects.
In the 19th century, Ralph Tarrant (1828 - 1902) was an English architect and designer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.
These individuals represent just a few examples of the many people throughout history who have carried the surname Tarrant, reflecting its long-standing presence in England and its association with various professions and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarrant
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarrant 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 Tarrant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.8% · 2,881
- Black or African American17.2% · 699
- Two or more races5.1% · 206
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 162
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarrant
Tarrant 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
#7,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,425
+285 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#7,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,072
-353 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,420 | 4,140 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,519 | 4,425 | 1.50 | +285 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #7,811 | 4,072 | 1.36 | -353 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 292 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 Tarrant 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 | #7,519 | #7,811 | -3.9% |
| Count | 4,425 | 4,072 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.36 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarrant bearers went from 4,425 to 4,072 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 292 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,519 to #7,811.
FAQ
Tarrant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarrant?
Name Census estimates that about 4,669 living Americans carry the surname Tarrant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,411 residents.
How common is Tarrant?
Tarrant ranks #7,811 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,072 people with the surname Tarrant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,669), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Tarrant.
Has Tarrant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarrant went from 4,425 recorded bearers to 4,072. That is a decrease of 353 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,519 to #7,811.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarrant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarrant, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Tarrant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (2,881 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarrant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.8%), Black (17.2%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Tarrant (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 Tarrant mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "one who came from Tarrant," a location in Dorset, England. 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 Tarrant (1.36 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 people share the surname Tarrant?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.