2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tartal
An Americanized form of a Scottish surname derived from a Scottish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Tartal. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tartal 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Tartal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tartal
The surname "TARTAL" is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Spain during the 12th century. It is likely derived from the Basque word "tarta," which means "cake" or "pastry." This suggests that the name may have been associated with bakers or pastry makers in the early days.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla," a medieval manuscript from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. The document, dated around 1180, mentions a certain "Sancho Tartal" as a witness to a land transaction.
In the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Spain, particularly in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia. This is evidenced by various records and documents from that period, including the "Llibre del Repartiment de València," which lists several individuals with the surname "Tartal" among the settlers who received land grants after the conquest of Valencia in 1238.
During the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name "Tartal" was Pedro Tartal, a prominent merchant from Barcelona who traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean region. He is mentioned in several historical accounts as a successful trader and entrepreneur.
Another significant individual with this surname was Juana Tartal, a Spanish noblewoman who lived in the 15th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her involvement in the cultural and intellectual circles of her time.
In the 16th century, the name "Tartal" gained recognition beyond Spain's borders. One notable example is Juan Tartal, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world. Tartal played a crucial role in the expedition and is mentioned in the journals and accounts of the voyage.
As the centuries passed, the surname "Tartal" continued to be present in various regions of Spain, with descendants spreading to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Notable individuals bearing this name include Miguel Tartal, a renowned painter from Seville who lived in the 17th century, and Andrés Tartal, a celebrated playwright and author from Madrid in the 18th century.
While the surname "Tartal" may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of Spain's rich cultural heritage, carrying with it the legacy of its historical origins and the accomplishments of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tartal
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tartal 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 Tartal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tartal
Tartal 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,647 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,647 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 12,310 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 Tartal 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 | #160,975 | #148,665 | 7.6% |
| Count | 100 | 111 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tartal bearers went from 100 to 111 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 12,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #148,665.
FAQ
Tartal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tartal?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Tartal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Tartal?
Tartal ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Tartal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tartal.
Has Tartal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tartal went from 100 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 11 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Tartal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Tartal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tartal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Tartal (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 Tartal mean?
An Americanized form of a Scottish surname derived from a Scottish place name. 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 Tartal (0.04 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 Tartal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.