2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tobkin
A variant spelling of the Yiddish surname Tobias, derived from the Hebrew name Tobiah meaning "God is good".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Tobkin. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tobkin 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Tobkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tobkin
The surname TOBKIN is believed to have originated in the regions of modern-day Poland and Belarus during the medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is a toponymic name, derived from the name of a specific place or village that no longer exists or has undergone significant changes in spelling over the centuries.
One theory suggests that the name TOBKIN may be rooted in the Slavic words "tob" or "toby," which could refer to a type of tree or forest, indicating that the name may have originated from a person or family residing near a particular wooded area or settlement. However, the exact etymology remains uncertain due to the scarcity of historical records from that era.
The earliest known written record of the TOBKIN surname dates back to the 15th century, where it appears in a land registry document from the town of Brest, located in what was then the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This document mentions a landowner named Jan TOBKIN, who held a substantial estate in the region.
In the 16th century, the name TOBKIN can be found in several church records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, suggesting that families bearing this surname had established themselves across various parts of the region. One notable figure was Stanislaw TOBKIN, a respected scholar and clergyman who lived from 1520 to 1587 and served as a canon in the city of Krakow.
The 17th century saw the TOBKIN name spread further across Eastern Europe, with records indicating its presence in areas such as modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. During this time, a prominent figure named Andrzej TOBKIN (1625-1698) emerged as a skilled military commander who played a crucial role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's conflicts against the Ottoman Empire and Sweden.
In the 18th century, the TOBKIN surname gained recognition in the fields of art and literature. Notable individuals include the painter Jakub TOBKIN (1745-1815), whose works depicting rural life and landscapes were highly acclaimed, and the poet Anna TOBKIN (1760-1826), whose poetic works were celebrated for their vivid imagery and emotional depth.
Throughout the 19th century, the TOBKIN name continued to be represented in various professions and fields, with individuals such as the renowned architect Michal TOBKIN (1812-1887), who designed several iconic buildings in Warsaw, and the influential writer and journalist Maria TOBKIN (1835-1902), whose works shed light on social issues and women's rights in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tobkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tobkin 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 Tobkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 11
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tobkin
Tobkin 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 25,675 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+18 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 16,924 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 25,675 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 16,924 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 Tobkin 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 | #159,712 | #142,788 | 10.6% |
| Count | 101 | 119 | 17.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tobkin bearers went from 101 to 119 (+17.8% change). The surname moved up 16,924 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #142,788.
FAQ
Tobkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tobkin?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Tobkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Tobkin?
Tobkin ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Tobkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Tobkin.
Has Tobkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tobkin went from 101 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 18 (+17.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Tobkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Tobkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tobkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (9.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Tobkin (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 Tobkin mean?
A variant spelling of the Yiddish surname Tobias, derived from the Hebrew name Tobiah meaning "God is good". 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 Tobkin (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 Tobkin?
You can see how many people have the last name Tobkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.