2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tatters
A surname derived from the Old English word meaning "torn rags or tattered clothes".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Tatters. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tatters 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tatters with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Tatters in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tatters
The surname Tatters has its origins in England, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "totere," which meant "rag" or "tatter." This term was likely used to describe someone who wore ragged or tattered clothing, possibly a beggar or a poor person.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Tatters can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a William Toters in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
Another early reference to the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire, which mentions a John Toters. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records, indicating that the Tatters family had established themselves as taxpayers in the region.
In the late 15th century, the name appeared in the form of "Tatteres" in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the influential Paston family of Norfolk. This suggests that the surname had spread to various parts of England by this time.
One notable figure with the surname Tatters was John Tatters (c. 1480-1545), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1527 and was known for his involvement in the local wool trade.
Another individual of significance was Edward Tatters (1558-1624), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Holme Lacy in Herefordshire. He was a noted translator and published works on theology and philosophy.
In the 17th century, the Tatters surname appeared in various parish records across England, including in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Hertfordshire. This indicates the widespread distribution of the name during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in the United States can be found in the records of Massachusetts Bay Colony, where a Richard Tatters is listed as a freeman in 1639.
Other notable individuals with the surname Tatters include William Tatters (1680-1754), a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, and James Tatters (1718-1789), a prominent attorney and judge in South Carolina.
Throughout its history, the surname Tatters has maintained its connection to its humble origins, reflecting the hardships and resilience of those who bore it in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tatters
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tatters 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 Tatters surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tatters
Tatters 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
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,357 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,357 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 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 Tatters 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 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tatters bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Tatters surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tatters?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Tatters. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Tatters?
Tatters ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Tatters. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tatters.
Has Tatters become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tatters went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Tatters?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (2.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tatters in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tatters appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (2.7%). 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 Tatters (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 Tatters mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word meaning "torn rags or tattered clothes". 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 Tatters (0.04 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 last name Tatters?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Tatters at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.