2000
#48,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Toback
Of Jewish origin, likely referring to a maker or seller of tobacco.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 440 Americans carry the last name Toback. That puts it at #57,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 778,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toback 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
440
1 in 778,987
Census rank
#57,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
384
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 384 bearers of the surname Toback in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toback, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toback
The surname TOBACK is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "tubach" which translates to "pigeon house" or "dovecote." The name is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, likely referring to an occupation or place of residence associated with keeping or breeding pigeons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the "Codex Eberhardi," a 13th-century manuscript compiled by the Cistercian monks of Zwettl Abbey in Austria. Here, a certain "Chunradus Tubach" is mentioned, indicating the surname's presence in the region during that time period.
The TOBACK name also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the tax rolls and municipal records of the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. These documents often provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution and variations in spelling of the surname, which included forms like "Taubock," "Taubacher," and "Taubeck."
One notable figure bearing the TOBACK surname was Johann Georg Toback, a German composer and organist who lived from 1671 to 1737. He served as the court organist in Darmstadt and is remembered for his contributions to the development of the organ concerto genre.
Another historical figure was Karl Toback, a 19th-century German politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck. He was born in 1824 and served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives.
In the realm of literature, Hermann Toback, a German novelist and playwright born in 1865, gained recognition for his works exploring social themes and critiques of the bourgeoisie. His most famous novel, "Die Kämpfer" (The Fighters), was published in 1902.
The name TOBACK can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, indicating the migration and spread of the surname across various regions over time.
One notable Dutch figure with the surname was Willem Toback, a 17th-century merchant and explorer who played a role in the establishment of the Dutch East Indies Company and the exploration of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toback
Among Census respondents with the surname Toback, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Toback 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 Toback surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 357
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 10
- Two or more races2.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toback
Toback 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
#50,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 411
+1 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,391 places
2020
#57,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384
-27 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,521 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,380 | 410 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,771 | 411 | 0.14 | +1 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 2,391 places |
| 2020 | #57,292 | 384 | 0.13 | -27 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 6,521 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 Toback 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 | #50,771 | #57,292 | -12.8% |
| Count | 411 | 384 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.13 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toback bearers went from 411 to 384 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 6,521 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,771 to #57,292.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Toback
FAQ
Toback surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toback?
Name Census estimates that about 440 living Americans carry the surname Toback. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 778,987 residents.
How common is Toback?
Toback ranks #57,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 384 people with the surname Toback. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (440), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Toback.
Has Toback become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toback went from 411 recorded bearers to 384. That is a decrease of 27 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,771 to #57,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Toback?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toback, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Toback in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toback appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Toback (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 Toback mean?
Of Jewish origin, likely referring to a maker or seller of tobacco. 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 Toback (0.13 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 Toback?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.