2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Toban
A surname of Scottish origin possibly derived from a place name or personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Toban. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toban 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Toban in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toban, the largest self-reported group is Black at 40.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.3%) and Hispanic (17.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toban
The surname TOBAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the province of Ulster. It likely dates back to the 16th or 17th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "tóbán," which means "little hill" or "mound."
One of the earliest recorded references to the TOBAN surname can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of Ireland, a tax record from the late 17th century. Several individuals with the name TOBAN were listed in counties such as Antrim and Down.
In the 19th century, the TOBAN name appeared in various Irish census records and parish registers. For example, John TOBAN (born circa 1818) was listed as a farmer in the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland, a property survey conducted in the mid-1800s.
A notable individual with the TOBAN surname was Patrick TOBAN (1823-1901), an Irish Nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament for North Monaghan from 1880 to 1885. He was actively involved in the Home Rule movement, advocating for Irish self-governance within the United Kingdom.
Another prominent figure was Michael TOBAN (1857-1929), a Catholic priest and educator from County Cavan. He played a significant role in establishing several schools in the region and was known for his dedication to advancing education opportunities for the local community.
In the early 20th century, the TOBAN surname also appeared in various immigration records, as many Irish individuals emigrated to other countries, particularly the United States and Canada. One such example is Thomas TOBAN (1892-1968), who was born in County Antrim and later settled in New York City, working as a carpenter.
While the TOBAN name is relatively uncommon globally, it continues to be associated with its Irish origins and the historical significance it holds within the regions of Ulster and Northern Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toban
Among Census respondents with the surname Toban, the largest self-reported group is Black at 40.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.3%) and Hispanic (17.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Toban 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 Toban surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American40.2% · 45
- White39.3% · 44
- Hispanic or Latino17.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toban
Toban 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,953 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 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 6,953 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 Toban 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 | #147,954 | 4.5% |
| Count | 105 | 112 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toban bearers went from 105 to 112 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 6,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #147,954.
FAQ
Toban surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toban?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Toban. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Toban?
Toban ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Toban. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Toban.
Has Toban become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toban went from 105 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Toban?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toban, the largest self-reported group is Black at 40.2%. The next largest groups are White (39.3%) and Hispanic (17.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Toban in the 2020 Census, accounting for 40.2% (45 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toban appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (40.2%), White (39.3%), Hispanic (17.0%). 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 Toban (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 Toban mean?
A surname of Scottish origin possibly derived from a place name or personal name. 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 Toban (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 surname Toban?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.