2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Taswell
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Taswell. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Taswell 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Taswell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Taswell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (9.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Taswell
The surname Taswell is of English origin, with its earliest known roots dating back to the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "taes" and "well," meaning "pool" or "spring," suggesting a connection to a specific geographic location or landmark.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Taswell surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror. This reference suggests that the name was already established among the Norman aristocracy who accompanied William during the conquest.
In the centuries following the Norman invasion, the Taswell family established a presence in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. The name underwent several variations in spelling, including Taiswell, Tayswell, and Teaswell, reflecting the fluid nature of naming conventions during that era.
One notable bearer of the Taswell name was Sir John Taswell (1460-1525), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry class in Lincolnshire. He served as High Sheriff of Lincolnshire and was knighted for his military service during the Wars of the Roses.
Another significant figure was William Taswell (1566-1639), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Newington in Oxfordshire. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and his contributions to the University of Oxford.
In the 17th century, the Taswell family had established a presence in the American colonies. Records show that a John Taswell (1620-1685) immigrated to Virginia in the 1630s and became a successful tobacco plantation owner and influential figure in the colony's political and social circles.
Moving into the 18th century, Edward Taswell (1701-1778) was a renowned architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects, including the construction of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire and the renovation of several historic churches in the region.
The 19th century saw the rise of Richard Taswell (1825-1902), a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Taswell Manufacturing Company in Birmingham, a leading producer of metalwork and machinery during the Industrial Revolution.
Throughout its long history, the Taswell surname has been associated with various professions, from landed gentry and clergy to architects, industrialists, and beyond. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location, its bearers have left their mark across various regions of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Taswell
Among Census respondents with the surname Taswell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (9.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Taswell 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 Taswell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American64.1% · 66
- White21.4% · 22
- Two or more races9.7% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Taswell
Taswell 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,636 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 12,636 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 3,730 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 Taswell 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 | #150,452 | #154,182 | -2.5% |
| Count | 109 | 103 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Taswell bearers went from 109 to 103 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 3,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,182.
FAQ
Taswell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Taswell?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Taswell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Taswell?
Taswell ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Taswell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Taswell.
Has Taswell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Taswell went from 109 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Taswell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Taswell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Two or More Races (9.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Taswell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Taswell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (64.1%), White (21.4%), Two or More Races (9.7%). 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 Taswell (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 Taswell mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in 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 Taswell (0.03 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 have the surname Taswell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.