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

Tovias, 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 Tovias surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tovias in America

Tovias is the 52619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tovias surname appeared 394 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 Tovias.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tovias 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 Tovias

The surname TOVIAS has its origins in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. The name is derived from the Hebrew name "Tobiah," which means "God is good" or "the goodness of God."

TOVIAS is a variant spelling of the more common surname Tobias, which can be traced back to the biblical figure Tobiah, a prominent figure in the Book of Nehemiah. The name gained popularity among Jewish families during the Middle Ages and spread across Eastern Europe as Jewish communities migrated and settled in various regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the TOVIAS surname can be found in the Polish town of Krakow, where a Jewish merchant named Tobias ben Eliezer was mentioned in a document dated 1514. This document served as evidence of the Jewish community's presence in the area during that time period.

In the 17th century, a notable TOVIAS family resided in the town of Brest-Litovsk, now part of Belarus. This family was known for their expertise in Talmudic studies and produced several respected rabbis and scholars, including Rabbi Yitzchak TOVIAS (1620-1689), who authored several influential works on Jewish law and ethics.

Another prominent figure bearing the TOVIAS surname was Raphael TOVIAS (1780-1853), a renowned Hebrew scholar and educator from Vilna, Lithuania. He was instrumental in establishing a network of Jewish schools throughout Eastern Europe and played a significant role in promoting the study of traditional Jewish texts.

In the 19th century, the TOVIAS name appeared in various records and documents across Eastern Europe, including the Russian Empire. One notable individual was Shmuel TOVIAS (1825-1901), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Odessa, Ukraine, who contributed significantly to the local Jewish community's welfare.

As Jewish communities migrated to other parts of the world, the TOVIAS surname spread to various countries, including the United States, Israel, and other parts of Europe. However, it remains most prevalent in areas with a significant Jewish population and a historical connection to Eastern European Jewish communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tovias

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

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 Tovias 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 Tovias 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 Tovias was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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