2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tlatoa
A surname likely of Nahuatl origin meaning "one who speaks or talks".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Tlatoa. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tlatoa 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Tlatoa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tlatoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tlatoa
The surname TLATOA originates from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec civilization in what is now central Mexico. It dates back to the 14th century, during the height of the Aztec Empire. The name is derived from the Nahuatl word "tlatoani," which means "speaker" or "ruler."
TLATOA is believed to have been a title or designation given to individuals who served as orators, advisors, or leaders within the Aztec society. They were respected for their eloquence, wisdom, and ability to communicate effectively with the people.
Early records of the name can be found in codices and hieroglyphic texts from the Aztec era. One notable example is the Codex Mendoza, a 16th-century manuscript that documented the history, customs, and tributes of the Aztec people.
The first recorded individual with the surname TLATOA was Tlacahuepan Tlatoa, who lived in the late 14th century and served as a high-ranking advisor to the Aztec ruler Huitzilihuitl. Another prominent figure was Itzcoatl Tlatoa, a skilled orator and military strategist who became the fourth ruler of the Aztec Triple Alliance in 1428.
During the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century, several individuals with the surname TLATOA were mentioned in accounts by Spanish chroniclers, such as Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Hernán Cortés.
In the colonial era, the name TLATOA continued to be used among the descendants of the Aztec nobility and elite classes. One notable figure was Juan Tlatoa y Peñaloza (1585-1657), a prominent landowner and administrator in New Spain (present-day Mexico).
Another individual of historical significance was María Tlatoa (1708-1781), a respected healer and midwife in the town of Cuernavaca, known for her extensive knowledge of traditional Aztec medicinal practices.
Throughout the centuries, the surname TLATOA has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. Some examples include:
1. Xochitl Tlatoa (1912-1998), a renowned Mexican sculptor and painter known for her works depicting indigenous themes.
2. Ernesto Tlatoa (1923-2005), a celebrated Mexican novelist and essayist whose works explored issues of identity and cultural heritage.
3. Alejandro Tlatoa (1947-2018), a influential Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 1999.
4. Yaretzi Tlatoa (born 1982), a contemporary Mexican academic and author who has written extensively on Aztec history and culture.
5. Cuauhtémoc Tlatoa (born 1975), a renowned Mexican chef and restaurateur who has helped popularize traditional Aztec cuisine both nationally and internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tlatoa
Among Census respondents with the surname Tlatoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tlatoa 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 Tlatoa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino98.2% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tlatoa
Tlatoa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,702 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 Tlatoa 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 | #154,907 | #150,205 | 3.0% |
| Count | 105 | 109 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tlatoa bearers went from 105 to 109 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,702 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,205.
FAQ
Tlatoa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tlatoa?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Tlatoa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Tlatoa?
Tlatoa ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Tlatoa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Tlatoa.
Has Tlatoa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tlatoa went from 105 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Tlatoa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tlatoa, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tlatoa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tlatoa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (98.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Tlatoa (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 Tlatoa mean?
A surname likely of Nahuatl origin meaning "one who speaks or talks". 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 Tlatoa (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 common is the surname Tlatoa?
If you just want to know how common the surname Tlatoa is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.