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

Tata, 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 Tata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tata in America

Tata is the 22543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tata surname appeared 1,140 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 Tata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tata 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.

The history of the last name Tata

The surname TATA originated in India during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "tatt," which means "that" or "truth." The name was likely adopted by members of the Vaishya caste, who were traders and merchants.

The earliest known historical record of the TATA surname dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in documents related to the Nagar Brahmin community in Gujarat. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Surat, Kheda, and Navsari, where many TATA families established themselves as successful businessmen and industrialists.

One of the earliest documented instances of the TATA surname is found in the writings of the Mughal historian Abul Fazl, who mentioned a wealthy merchant named Virji Vora TATA in his work, "Ain-i-Akbari," written in the late 16th century.

The TATA family rose to prominence during the British colonial era in India. Jamsetji Nusserwanji TATA (1839-1904), the founder of the Tata Group, was a pioneering industrialist who established the first textile mill in India and played a pivotal role in the country's industrial revolution.

Another notable figure was Ratanji Dadabhoy TATA (1856-1923), who co-founded the Central Bank of India and played a significant role in the development of the Indian banking sector.

In the field of aviation, Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy TATA (1904-1993) was the first Indian to obtain a commercial pilot's license and later founded Air India, the country's national airline.

The TATA surname has also been associated with several places in India, such as Tatanagar (now Jamshedpur), a city established by Jamsetji Nusserwanji TATA and named after him, and Tatavati, a village in Gujarat where many TATA families resided.

While the TATA name has gained global recognition through the success of the Tata Group, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in India, where it originated as a surname associated with the trading and merchant communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tata

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

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 Tata was:

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

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

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

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