2000
#9,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Tarter
An occupational surname for someone who gathered cream of tartar or worked as a sweeper or cleaner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,476 Americans carry the last name Tarter. That puts it at #10,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarter 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
3.5K
1 in 98,606
Census rank
#10,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,031 bearers of the surname Tarter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarter
The surname Tarter is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tært," which means "sour" or "tart," and was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone with a sour disposition or persona.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1201, which mentions a Richard Tarter. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the early 13th century.
During the medieval era, the Tarter surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia. Records from the 14th century show the name spelled in various ways, such as Tartare, Tartere, and Tartour, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the time.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Tarter surname was John Tarter, a merchant and alderman of the City of London, who was born around 1550 and died in 1616. His legacy includes the establishment of a charitable trust that supported education and other philanthropic causes.
Another historical figure was Sir Thomas Tarter, a member of the English gentry who lived during the 17th century. He was born in 1620 and served as a magistrate and landowner in Lincolnshire, playing a role in local governance and affairs.
The Tarter name also has connections to certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Tarrant Gunville in Dorset was formerly known as Tarter Gundevile in the 13th century, suggesting a possible association between the surname and the locality.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Tarter families were prominent landowners and gentry in various counties across England, including Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire. Notable individuals from this period include Sir William Tarter (1672-1745), a wealthy merchant and member of Parliament for the city of Bristol.
As the Tarter surname spread throughout England over the centuries, it became associated with various professions and social standings, from merchants and landowners to artisans and tradesmen. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, the name has left its mark on the country's history and genealogical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarter
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarter 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 Tarter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 2,682
- Black or African American4.6% · 138
- Two or more races3.7% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarter
Tarter 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
#9,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,507
+278 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 2 places
2020
#10,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,031
-476 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 854 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,279 | 3,229 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,281 | 3,507 | 1.19 | +278 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 2 places |
| 2020 | #10,135 | 3,031 | 1.01 | -476 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 854 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 Tarter 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 | #9,281 | #10,135 | -9.2% |
| Count | 3,507 | 3,031 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.01 | -14.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarter bearers went from 3,507 to 3,031 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 854 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,281 to #10,135.
FAQ
Tarter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarter?
Name Census estimates that about 3,476 living Americans carry the surname Tarter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,606 residents.
How common is Tarter?
Tarter ranks #10,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,031 people with the surname Tarter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,476), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Tarter.
Has Tarter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarter went from 3,507 recorded bearers to 3,031. That is a decrease of 476 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,281 to #10,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarter, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Tarter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (2,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Black (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Tarter (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 Tarter mean?
An occupational surname for someone who gathered cream of tartar or worked as a sweeper or cleaner. 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 Tarter (1.01 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 Tarter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.