2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tobo
A surname likely derived from a place name or an abbreviation of another last name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Tobo. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tobo 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Tobo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Black (16.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tobo
The surname TOBO has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia, Spain, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "tubus," which means "pipe" or "tube," and likely referred to an occupation or location associated with water systems or plumbing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a 13th-century document that recorded the distribution of lands and properties following the Reconquista in the Kingdom of Valencia. This document mentions individuals with the surname TOBO, suggesting their presence in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, records show a TOBO family residing in the town of Valls, located in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia. This family was involved in the local administration and held positions of authority within the community.
During the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the TOBO surname was Joan Tobo, a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Barcelona. Historical documents mention his involvement in trade and business ventures, as well as his influential role in the city's affairs.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the town of Calella, also in the province of Barcelona. A family by the name of Tobo owned several properties and vineyards in the area, contributing to the local economy and winemaking industry.
Another significant individual with the TOBO surname was Miquel Tobo, a renowned architect and mason who lived in the 17th century. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings and churches in the region, including the Church of Sant Miquel in Valls, which is considered one of his masterpieces.
As the centuries progressed, the TOBO surname spread to other parts of Spain and even beyond, with families bearing this name appearing in various regions and historical records. However, its roots can be traced back to the Catalonian region, where it first emerged and gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tobo
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Black (16.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tobo 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 Tobo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.8% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.2% · 25
- Black or African American16.9% · 20
- White10.2% · 12
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tobo
Tobo 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Tobo 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tobo bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
FAQ
Tobo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tobo?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Tobo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Tobo?
Tobo ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Tobo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Tobo.
Has Tobo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tobo went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Tobo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tobo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Black (16.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tobo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.8% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tobo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (50.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%), Black (16.9%). 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 Tobo (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 Tobo mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or an abbreviation of another last 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 Tobo (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 share the surname Tobo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.