2010
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tsymbal
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word for "cymbal", referring to an occupation or ancestor involved in cymbal-making or music.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 210 Americans carry the last name Tsymbal. That puts it at #104,276 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,632,164 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsymbal 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
210
1 in 1,632,164
Census rank
#104,276
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
183
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 183 bearers of the surname Tsymbal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 104276th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsymbal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.1%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsymbal
The surname Tsymbal originated in Ukraine during the 16th century. It is derived from the Ukrainian word "tsymbaly," which refers to a traditional folk musical instrument similar to cymbals. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who played or made these instruments.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tsymbal can be found in historical documents from the Kyiv region of Ukraine dating back to the late 1500s. Similar spellings such as "Tsymbalnik" and "Tsymbalist" were also used in various regions of Ukraine during this time period.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Tsymbal began appearing in church records and census documents across central and eastern Ukraine. Notably, a Ukrainian Cossack named Hryhoriy Tsymbal was recorded as participating in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule in the mid-1600s.
During the 19th century, the surname Tsymbal became more widespread as Ukrainian families migrated to different parts of the Russian Empire and beyond. One notable figure was the Ukrainian composer and conductor Vasyl Tsymbal (1833-1915), who played a significant role in the development of Ukrainian classical music.
Another prominent individual with the surname Tsymbal was Mykola Tsymbal (1876-1940), a Ukrainian politician and diplomat who served as a representative of the Ukrainian People's Republic in various European countries during the early 20th century.
In the 20th century, the name Tsymbal continued to be associated with Ukrainian culture and arts. For example, Mariya Tsymbal (1901-1984) was a renowned Ukrainian actress who starred in numerous films and theatrical productions.
Additionally, Hryhoriy Tsymbal (1903-1987) was a respected Ukrainian writer and literary critic who made significant contributions to the development of modern Ukrainian literature.
While the surname Tsymbal remains most prevalent in Ukraine and among Ukrainian diaspora communities around the world, it has also been recorded in other parts of Eastern Europe and beyond, likely due to migration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsymbal
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsymbal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.1%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsymbal 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 Tsymbal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 177
- Black or African American1.1% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsymbal
Tsymbal 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
#104,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
+39 bearers (+27.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 15,911 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #104,276 | 183 | 0.06 | +39 bearers (+27.1%) | Up 15,911 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 Tsymbal 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 | #120,187 | #104,276 | 13.2% |
| Count | 144 | 183 | 27.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsymbal bearers went from 144 to 183 (+27.1% change). The surname moved up 15,911 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #104,276.
FAQ
Tsymbal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsymbal?
Name Census estimates that about 210 living Americans carry the surname Tsymbal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,632,164 residents.
How common is Tsymbal?
Tsymbal ranks #104,276 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 183 people with the surname Tsymbal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (210), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Tsymbal.
Has Tsymbal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsymbal went from 144 recorded bearers to 183. That is an increase of 39 (+27.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #120,187 to #104,276.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsymbal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsymbal, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Black (1.1%) and Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Tsymbal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsymbal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Black (1.1%), Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Tsymbal (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 Tsymbal mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word for "cymbal", referring to an occupation or ancestor involved in cymbal-making or music. 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 Tsymbal (0.06 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 share the surname Tsymbal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.