2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tobio
A Portuguese and Japanese surname originating from a locality name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Tobio. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tobio 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Tobio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobio, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (50.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tobio
The surname Tobio is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany. It emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "tobio," which means "steep hill" or "cliff," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near or on a steep terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tobio can be found in a document from the city of Florence, dated 1327. This document mentions a certain "Giovanni Tobio," who was a local landowner. There are also records of a "Piero Tobio" residing in the town of Siena in the late 15th century.
The Tobio surname appears to have been concentrated in central and northern Italy during the Renaissance period. Several notable individuals bearing this name emerged during this time, including the artist Giorgio Tobio (1460-1535), who was renowned for his frescoes in various churches in Florence and Rome.
Another prominent figure was Antonio Tobio (1520-1590), a renowned scholar and philosopher from Venice. He was known for his works on metaphysics and was a respected lecturer at the University of Padua.
In the 17th century, the Tobio family established itself in the city of Genoa, where they were involved in maritime trade and commerce. One of their most illustrious members was Giovanni Battista Tobio (1625-1698), a successful merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
As the Tobio family expanded and migrated to other regions of Italy, different variations of the spelling emerged, such as Tobbio, Tobbia, and Tobbia. These variations can be found in historical records from various parts of the country.
Among the notable figures with the Tobio surname in more recent history was Enrico Tobio (1878-1957), a renowned Italian composer and conductor who was particularly known for his operas and orchestral works.
While the Tobio surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the rich history and origins of this name can be traced back to the picturesque hills and cliffs of Tuscany, where it first emerged centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tobio
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobio, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (50.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tobio 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 Tobio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino50.0% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tobio
Tobio 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 9,483 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 Tobio 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 | #151,532 | #142,049 | 6.3% |
| Count | 108 | 120 | 11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tobio bearers went from 108 to 120 (+11.1% change). The surname moved up 9,483 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,049.
FAQ
Tobio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tobio?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Tobio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Tobio?
Tobio ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Tobio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Tobio.
Has Tobio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tobio went from 108 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 12 (+11.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Tobio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobio, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (50.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tobio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tobio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Hispanic (50.0%). 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 Tobio (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 Tobio mean?
A Portuguese and Japanese surname originating from a locality 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 Tobio (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 are called Tobio?
See how many people have the surname Tobio on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.