2000
#92,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Tato
A surname derived from a shortened form of a personal name or nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256 Americans carry the last name Tato. That puts it at #89,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tato 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
256
1 in 1,338,884
Census rank
#89,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223 bearers of the surname Tato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tato, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tato
The surname TATO is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Latin word "tata," which was a term of endearment used for grandfathers or elderly men. This nickname may have been given to an ancestor who was advanced in age or had a grandfatherly demeanor.
In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled "Tata" or "Tatti" in Italian records and documents. As the surname spread throughout the Italian peninsula, regional variations in spelling began to emerge, including "Tato" and "Tatto."
One of the earliest known references to the TATO surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard Kingdom in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the TATO surname. One such person was Pietro Tato, a renowned painter from Venice who lived in the 16th century and was known for his religious artwork adorning churches throughout the city.
In the 17th century, the TATO name appeared in the records of the Inquisition in Sicily, where a man named Vincenzo Tato was accused of heresy but later exonerated. This historical reference provides insight into the geographical spread of the surname across different regions of Italy.
Another significant figure was Antonio Tato, a philosopher and theologian from Naples who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics, and his works were widely studied in academic circles of the time.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Tato was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy. He was an influential figure in the early years of the unified Italian state and played a role in shaping its legal system.
The TATO surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy. For example, there is a small village called Tato in the province of Reggio Calabria, which may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname in that region.
Overall, the TATO surname has a rich history deeply rooted in Italian culture and heritage, with records spanning several centuries and various notable individuals who have carried this name throughout the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tato
Among Census respondents with the surname Tato, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tato 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 Tato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White40.4% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino35.0% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.6% · 28
- Black or African American9.0% · 20
- Two or more races2.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tato
Tato 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
#95,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
+8 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,514 places
2020
#89,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
+31 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 5,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #92,601 | 184 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,115 | 192 | 0.07 | +8 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 2,514 places |
| 2020 | #89,231 | 223 | 0.07 | +31 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 5,884 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 Tato 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 | #95,115 | #89,231 | 6.2% |
| Count | 192 | 223 | 16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tato bearers went from 192 to 223 (+16.1% change). The surname moved up 5,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,115 to #89,231.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tato
FAQ
Tato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tato?
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the surname Tato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338,884 residents.
How common is Tato?
Tato ranks #89,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 223 people with the surname Tato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Tato.
Has Tato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tato went from 192 recorded bearers to 223. That is an increase of 31 (+16.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,115 to #89,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Tato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tato, the largest self-reported group is White at 40.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 40.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (40.4%), Hispanic (35.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.6%). 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 Tato (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 Tato mean?
A surname derived from a shortened form of a personal name or nickname. 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 Tato (0.07 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 share the surname Tato?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.