Taste last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Taste

A surname derived from an occupation involving tasting or testing foods or drinks.

Taste, 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 Taste surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Taste in America

Taste is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Taste surname appeared 159 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Taste.

We can also compare 2010 data for Taste 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 110825 102691 7.62%
Count 159 162 -1.87%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Taste

The surname Taste originated in England during the medieval period, most likely derived from a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked in the wine or beer industry, possibly as a taster or brewer. It may have roots in the Old French word "taster," meaning "to taste or sample."

The earliest recorded use of the name Taste can be traced back to the 13th century in various records and documents from different parts of England, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a John le Tastour in Oxfordshire. The name also appeared in the form of Taster in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296.

One notable mention of the name Taste is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. While the name itself is not listed, there are references to places like "Tatesfeld" and "Tatestede," which may have been derived from a similar root word and potentially related to the surname's origin.

In the 14th century, the name Taste appeared in various spellings, including Taster, Tayster, and Taister, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that time period. One example is William Taster, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

As the surname spread throughout England, it was sometimes associated with specific locations, leading to variations like Tastewell and Tastard. John Tastard was a prominent figure who served as a member of the English Parliament in the late 14th century.

Another notable individual with the surname Taste was Sir Robert Taste, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He was born around 1320 and gained recognition for his bravery in various battles against the French.

In the 16th century, the name Taste appeared in the works of renowned English playwright William Shakespeare, who referenced a character named "Sir Walter Taste" in his play "The Merry Wives of Windsor," written around 1597.

Throughout history, the surname Taste has been carried by various individuals, including authors, scholars, and military figures, although their specific contributions and life stories may have been lost over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Taste

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

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 Taste was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.40% 7
Non-Hispanic Black Only 89.31% 142
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.77% 6
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Taste has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.40% 3.70% 17.28%
Black 89.31% 89.51% -0.22%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 3.77% 6.79% -57.20%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Taste last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/taste-surname-popularity/.

"Taste last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/taste-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Taste last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/taste-surname-popularity/.

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