Find out how popular the last name Tobar is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tobar.

Tobar, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tobar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tobar in America

Tobar is the 4977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tobar surname appeared 7,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Tobar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tobar to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tobar

The surname Tobar is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "tobar" which means "a well" or "a spring". This surname is believed to have originated in the regions of Argyll and Bute, where it was first recorded in the 13th century.

The earliest known record of the name Tobar dates back to the year 1263, when a person named Malcolm Tobar was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. This suggests that the name was already established in Scotland by the mid-13th century.

In the late 14th century, the name Tobar appeared in the records of the Parish of Kilchrenan, located in Argyll, Scotland. This further reinforces the association of the name with this particular region.

The earliest known spelling variations of the name include Tobar, Tober, Tobert, and Tobyr. These variations likely arose due to the variations in pronunciation and the different ways scribes chose to represent the name in written form.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the surname Tobar was Sir John Tobar (1380-1448), a Scottish knight who served as a military commander during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was renowned for his bravery and loyalty to the Scottish crown.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Angus Tobar (1520-1585), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1558 to 1585. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was known for his efforts to promote education and religious reform.

In the 16th century, the Tobar family established themselves in the parish of Kilchrenan, where they owned land and were considered part of the local gentry. One notable member of this branch was Robert Tobar (1560-1625), who served as the Laird of Kilchrenan and was known for his patronage of the arts and literature.

The Tobar surname was also found in the Orkney Islands, where a branch of the family settled in the 17th century. One notable figure from this branch was James Tobar (1670-1745), a merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the economic development of the Orkney Islands.

In the 18th century, the Tobar family continued to hold land and influence in various parts of Scotland, with several members serving in the military and local government. One notable figure from this period was Alexander Tobar (1725-1795), a Scottish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Argyllshire from 1765 to 1790.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tobar

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tobar.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tobar was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tobar has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tobar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tobar, please contact us.

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