2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tokatlian
An Armenian surname referring to someone from the town of Tokad or Tokat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Tokatlian. 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 Tokatlian 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 Tokatlian 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 Tokatlian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tokatlian
The surname TOKATLIAN has its origins in the Armenian language and culture. It is believed to have originated in the city of Tokat, located in the historical region of Armenia that is now part of modern-day Turkey. The name likely dates back to the 16th or 17th century, when Armenian families were forming surnames based on their place of origin or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TOKATLIAN surname can be found in a 17th-century Armenian manuscript detailing the history of the city of Tokat. The manuscript mentions several prominent TOKATLIAN families who were involved in the local silk trade, which was a significant industry in the region at the time.
During the Ottoman era, many TOKATLIAN families were forced to flee their ancestral homeland due to persecution and genocide. Some settled in other parts of the Ottoman Empire, while others sought refuge in neighboring countries like Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.
One notable figure with the TOKATLIAN surname was Vahan Tokatlian (1846-1909), an Armenian writer and educator who was born in Tokat. He is best known for his contributions to Armenian literature and his efforts to promote education among the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire.
Another prominent TOKATLIAN was Harutyun Tokatlian (1870-1935), an Armenian revolutionary and statesman who played a significant role in the Armenian national liberation movement. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) and served as the first Prime Minister of the short-lived Armenian Republic from 1918 to 1919.
In the 20th century, many TOKATLIAN families found themselves scattered across various diaspora communities around the world, particularly in France, the United States, and Argentina. One notable figure from this era was Archag Tokatlian (1905-1969), an Armenian-American artist and sculptor who was born in Tokat and later immigrated to the United States.
Another prominent TOKATLIAN was Vartan Tokatlian (1920-1995), an Armenian writer and journalist who was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He was a prolific author and journalist, known for his works on Armenian history and literature.
The TOKATLIAN surname continues to be prevalent among Armenian communities worldwide, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Armenian people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tokatlian
Among Census respondents with the surname Tokatlian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tokatlian 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 Tokatlian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tokatlian
Tokatlian 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Tokatlian 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 | #150,452 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tokatlian bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Tokatlian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tokatlian?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Tokatlian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Tokatlian?
Tokatlian 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 Tokatlian. 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 Tokatlian.
Has Tokatlian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tokatlian went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Tokatlian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tokatlian, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Tokatlian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tokatlian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Hispanic (11.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Tokatlian (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 Tokatlian mean?
An Armenian surname referring to someone from the town of Tokad or Tokat. 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 Tokatlian (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 Tokatlian?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Tokatlian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.