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

Tobia, 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 Tobia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tobia in America

Tobia is the 25037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tobia surname appeared 992 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tobia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tobia 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 Tobia

The surname Tobia is of Italian origin, derived from the medieval personal name Tobia, which itself comes from the Hebrew name Tobiah meaning "God is good." The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria.

Tobia was a well-established surname in Italy as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1292 Florentine tax records, which mention a certain Tobia di Bencivenni.

In the 14th century, the Tobia family was prominent in the city of Siena. Documents from this period mention several individuals bearing the name, including Tobia di Giacomo, a renowned painter and illuminator of manuscripts who lived from around 1320 to 1380.

During the Renaissance, the Tobia family continued to play a significant role in the cultural and artistic life of Italy. One notable figure was Pietro Tobia, a sculptor from Carrara who lived between 1470 and 1535. His works can be found in various churches and public spaces throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the name Tobia was particularly prevalent in the region of Calabria, in southern Italy. One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname was Girolamo Tobia, a philosopher and theologian born in Catanzaro in 1610. He is known for his influential writings on metaphysics and natural philosophy.

Another notable figure from this period was Tobia Palmieri, a painter from Naples who lived from 1642 to 1701. He was renowned for his religious works and his skillful use of chiaroscuro techniques.

Variations of the surname Tobia can also be found in other parts of Italy, such as Tobias or Tobiasi. While the name has maintained a presence throughout the country over the centuries, it has been particularly well-established in regions like Tuscany, Umbria, and Calabria, where it has deep historical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tobia

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

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 Tobia 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 Tobia 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 Tobia was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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