Find out how popular the last name Tou is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tou.

Tou, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tou in America

Tou is the 63873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tou surname appeared 312 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tou to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tou

The surname "TOU" is believed to have originated in China, with the earliest records dating back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Mandarin Chinese word "tou," which means "head" or "leader." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities.

In ancient Chinese documents, such as the Tang Dynasty's imperial records, there are mentions of individuals bearing the surname "TOU." One notable example is Tou Yuanjie, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the 8th century AD. His works, including the collection "Tou Yuanjie Ji," have been preserved and studied by scholars over the centuries.

The surname "TOU" is also found in various Chinese place names, indicating the geographic spread of this family name. For instance, Touzhen, a town in Jiangsu Province, and Touxian, a county in Henan Province, both incorporate the surname "TOU" in their names, suggesting that families with this surname may have settled or held significant influence in these areas.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the "TOU" surname gained prominence, and several individuals with this name made notable contributions. One such figure was Tou Tao, a renowned military strategist and general who played a crucial role in defending the Song Empire against the Liao and Jin invasions in the late 11th century.

Another prominent individual was Tou Shou, a Confucian scholar and philosopher who lived during the 12th century AD. His commentaries and interpretations of classical Confucian texts were highly influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the "TOU" surname continued to be well-represented. Tou Xuan, a skilled painter and calligrapher, was celebrated for his innovative techniques and unique artistic style, which blended traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary influences.

As the Chinese diaspora spread across the world, the "TOU" surname also became more widely dispersed. Tou Bofu, a Chinese-American entrepreneur born in 1882, was a pioneering figure in the early Chinese community in San Francisco, establishing successful businesses and advocating for the rights of Chinese immigrants.

These examples illustrate the rich history and cultural significance of the surname "TOU" throughout Chinese history, reflecting its roots in leadership, scholarship, and artistic expression.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tou

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tou.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tou was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tou has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tou was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tou, please contact us.

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