2000
#3,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,935
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.31
Uncommon Last name
Tarver
An English occupational surname for someone who paves roads with tar or works with tar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,490 Americans carry the last name Tarver. That puts it at #3,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarver 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 Tarver with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,674
Census rank
#3,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,148 bearers of the surname Tarver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarver, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarver
The surname Tarver is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 11th century during the Norman Conquest of England. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "tervour," which means "a digger" or "a worker of the soil." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in agricultural pursuits or worked as laborers on the land.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, one of the earliest comprehensive records of landowners and tenants in England, there are several entries that may be related to the Tarver surname, such as "Tervere" and "Tervour." These entries indicate that individuals with similar names were present in various parts of the country, including Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tarver surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a certain "Roger Tarvour" is mentioned. This entry provides evidence of the surname's existence in the late 12th century.
Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Tarvour, Tarver, Tarvar, and Tarvere. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices during the Middle Ages.
In the 14th century, the Tarver surname appeared in several historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a "John Tarvere." Additionally, the Hearth Tax Rolls of Warwickshire from 1674 recorded a "William Tarver" residing in the town of Coventry.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Tarver surname throughout history are:
1. Sir John Tarver (c. 1540-1615), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Thomas Tarver (1638-1701), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts, including "The Creed of an Honest Man."
3. Edward Tarver (1768-1845), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Navalorder for his distinguished service.
4. William Tarver (1809-1887), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia in the 34th Congress.
5. Janie Tarver (1886-1978), an American singer and actress who performed on Broadway and in various vaudeville shows in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarver
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarver, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarver 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 Tarver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.7% · 4,458
- White42.7% · 3,905
- Two or more races4.5% · 414
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 294
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarver
Tarver 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
#3,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,341
+406 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 3.17
Rank movement Down 134 places
2020
#3,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,148
-193 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,654 | 8,935 | 3.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,788 | 9,341 | 3.17 | +406 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 134 places |
| 2020 | #3,785 | 9,148 | 3.06 | -193 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 3 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 Tarver 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 | #3,788 | #3,785 | 0.1% |
| Count | 9,341 | 9,148 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.17 | 3.06 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarver bearers went from 9,341 to 9,148 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,788 to #3,785.
FAQ
Tarver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarver?
Name Census estimates that about 10,490 living Americans carry the surname Tarver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,674 residents.
How common is Tarver?
Tarver ranks #3,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,148 people with the surname Tarver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,490), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Tarver.
Has Tarver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarver went from 9,341 recorded bearers to 9,148. That is a decrease of 193 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,788 to #3,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarver, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.7%. The next largest groups are White (42.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tarver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.7% (4,458 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.7%), White (42.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Tarver (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 Tarver mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who paves roads with tar or works with tar. 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 Tarver (3.06 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 Tarver?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.