2000
#20,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Tat
A Punjabi surname derived from a Buddhist/Hindu community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,102 Americans carry the last name Tat. That puts it at #15,406 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tat 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
2.1K
1 in 163,061
Census rank
#15,406
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,833 bearers of the surname Tat in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15406th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tat, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tat
The surname Tat has its origins in the northern regions of England, specifically in Northumberland and Yorkshire, during the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "tate," which means "cheerful" or "lively." This name was likely given as a nickname to individuals with a cheerful or jovial disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tat can be found in the Court Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 13th century, where a certain Robert Tate is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use and had established itself in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the surname Tat appears in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a John Tate is listed as a resident of the village of Barnby. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence and spread across the region.
The surname Tat has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was Sir Robert Tate (1516-1586), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northumberland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Tate (1807-1888), a renowned English architect who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Exchange and the City of London School.
In the literary world, Nahum Tate (1652-1715) was an English poet and playwright who served as the Poet Laureate of England from 1692 to 1715. He is best known for his adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays, including the controversial revision of King Lear.
The surname Tat has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Tatenhill in Staffordshire and Tatershall in Lincolnshire. These place names likely derived from the same root as the surname, further reinforcing its historical ties to the region.
Over the centuries, the surname Tat has undergone various spelling variations, including Tate, Tait, and Taitt, reflecting the regional dialects and preferences of different areas. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting the cheerful and lively nature associated with its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tat
Among Census respondents with the surname Tat, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tat 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 Tat surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.4% · 1,639
- White5.3% · 98
- Black or African American2.8% · 52
- Two or more races1.7% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tat
Tat 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
#17,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,593
+352 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 2,367 places
2020
#15,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,833
+240 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 2,233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,006 | 1,241 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,639 | 1,593 | 0.54 | +352 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 2,367 places |
| 2020 | #15,406 | 1,833 | 0.61 | +240 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 2,233 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 Tat 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 | #17,639 | #15,406 | 12.7% |
| Count | 1,593 | 1,833 | 15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.61 | 13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tat bearers went from 1,593 to 1,833 (+15.1% change). The surname moved up 2,233 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,639 to #15,406.
FAQ
Tat surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tat?
Name Census estimates that about 2,102 living Americans carry the surname Tat. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,061 residents.
How common is Tat?
Tat ranks #15,406 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,833 people with the surname Tat. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Tat.
Has Tat become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tat went from 1,593 recorded bearers to 1,833. That is an increase of 240 (+15.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,639 to #15,406.
What does the Census say about the background of Tat?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tat, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Black (2.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tat in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (1,639 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tat appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.4%), White (5.3%), Black (2.8%). 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 Tat (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 Tat mean?
A Punjabi surname derived from a Buddhist/Hindu community. 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 Tat (0.61 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 common is the surname Tat?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Tat on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.