2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Totanes
Filipino surname possibly derived from a place name or a word meaning "people of the woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Totanes. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Totanes 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Totanes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Totanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Totanes
The surname Totanes has its origins in the Philippines, originating from the Visayan language. It is believed to have been derived from the word "totanes," which means "black," referring to a person's dark complexion or hair color. The name likely emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century, during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
While there are no known historical references of the name appearing in ancient manuscripts or records, it is speculated that the surname was adopted by Filipino families during the systematic distribution of Spanish surnames in the late 18th century. This process was implemented by Spanish authorities as a means of record-keeping and taxation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Totanes can be found in the 1804 census of the town of Cabatuan, Iloilo, where a family bearing this name was documented. However, the name may have existed earlier in other regions of the Philippines.
Among the notable individuals who have carried the Totanes surname throughout history is Juan Totanes, a revolutionary leader who fought against the Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. He was born in 1865 and played a significant role in the Philippine Revolution, leading local guerrilla forces in the province of Iloilo.
Another prominent figure was Maria Totanes, a renowned educator and women's rights advocate who lived in the early 20th century. She was born in 1890 and dedicated her life to promoting education and empowering women in the Philippines through her work as a teacher and activist.
In the field of literature, Andres Totanes, born in 1920, was a celebrated poet and writer known for his contributions to the development of Filipino poetry. His works explored themes of national identity, social justice, and the beauty of the Filipino language.
The name Totanes has also been associated with notable figures in the military. One such individual was General Antonio Totanes, a decorated officer in the Philippine Army who served during World War II and the subsequent campaigns against communist insurgents. He was born in 1910 and played a crucial role in defending the country's sovereignty.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning Francisco Totanes, an influential businessman and philanthropist born in 1935. He made significant contributions to the economic development of the Philippines through his successful business ventures and philanthropic initiatives, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Totanes
Among Census respondents with the surname Totanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Totanes 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 Totanes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.0% · 109
- White2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Totanes
Totanes 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 887 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 Totanes 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 | #144,141 | #145,028 | -0.6% |
| Count | 115 | 116 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Totanes bearers went from 115 to 116 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 887 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,028.
FAQ
Totanes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Totanes?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Totanes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Totanes?
Totanes ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Totanes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Totanes.
Has Totanes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Totanes went from 115 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Totanes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Totanes, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Totanes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Totanes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.0%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Totanes (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 Totanes mean?
Filipino surname possibly derived from a place name or a word meaning "people of the woods". 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 Totanes (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 Americans have the surname Totanes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.