2000
#18,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Tokar
Occupational surname derived from the Polish word meaning "turner" or "lathe worker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,537 Americans carry the last name Tokar. That puts it at #20,096 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 223,002 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tokar 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tokar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 223,002
Census rank
#20,096
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,340 bearers of the surname Tokar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20096th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tokar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tokar
The surname Tokar has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "tokarz," which refers to a turner or lathe worker. This occupational surname suggests that the earliest bearers were involved in woodturning or related crafts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of Polish court records from the 15th and 16th centuries. In these documents, a certain Jan Tokar is mentioned in relation to a court case in the town of Krakow in the year 1487.
During the Middle Ages, the name Tokar likely had several spelling variations, including Tokarz, Tokarczyk, and Tokarczuk. These variations reflect the fluid nature of surname spellings in that era, which often depended on regional dialects and the preferences of scribes and record-keepers.
In the 16th century, the town of Tokarnia in central Poland was named after a family with the surname Tokar, indicating their presence and influence in the area. This place name connection further reinforces the deep roots of the surname in Polish history.
One notable historical figure bearing the Tokar surname was Jan Tokar (1540-1607), a Polish Renaissance painter and architect who contributed to the development of the Mannerist style in Poland. His works can be found in various churches and castles throughout the country.
Another significant bearer of the name was Michał Tokar (1767-1825), a Polish general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the November Uprising against the Russian Empire. He is remembered for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, Józef Tokar (1818-1876) was a prominent Polish educator and writer who advocated for the use of the Polish language in schools and literature. His efforts played a crucial role in preserving Polish cultural identity during a period of foreign occupation.
The surname Tokar also found its way to other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with significant Polish populations. For instance, Grigory Tokar (1890-1937) was a Soviet military commander of Polish descent who played a role in the Russian Civil War and the early years of the Soviet Union.
In more recent times, Jerzy Tokar (1931-2010) was a respected Polish actor and director, known for his contributions to both stage and screen. He received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, cementing his place in the history of Polish theatre and film.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tokar
Among Census respondents with the surname Tokar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tokar 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 Tokar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 1,257
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 45
- Two or more races2.0% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 10
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tokar
Tokar 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
#20,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,332
-28 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 1,398 places
2020
#20,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,340
+8 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,667 | 1,360 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,065 | 1,332 | 0.45 | -28 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 1,398 places |
| 2020 | #20,096 | 1,340 | 0.45 | +8 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 31 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 Tokar 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 | #20,065 | #20,096 | -0.2% |
| Count | 1,332 | 1,340 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.45 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tokar bearers went from 1,332 to 1,340 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,065 to #20,096.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tokar
FAQ
Tokar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tokar?
Name Census estimates that about 1,537 living Americans carry the surname Tokar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 223,002 residents.
How common is Tokar?
Tokar ranks #20,096 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,340 people with the surname Tokar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Tokar.
Has Tokar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tokar went from 1,332 recorded bearers to 1,340. That is an increase of 8 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,065 to #20,096.
What does the Census say about the background of Tokar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tokar, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Tokar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (1,257 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tokar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Tokar (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 Tokar mean?
Occupational surname derived from the Polish word meaning "turner" or "lathe worker". 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 Tokar (0.45 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 Tokar?
Find out how many people have the surname Tokar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.