Tubby last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Tubby

A nickname surname referring to someone overweight or plump.

Tubby, 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 Tubby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tubby in America

Tubby is the 44872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tubby surname appeared 478 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 Tubby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tubby 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 44872 49249 -9.30%
Count 478 401 17.52%
Proportion per 100k 0.16 0.15 6.45%

The history of the last name Tubby

The surname Tubby has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "tubb," which was a nickname given to someone who was stout or plump in appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a John Tubbe. This suggests that the name had already become established as a surname by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Tubbe, Tubby, and Tubbie, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. These variations likely arose from the way the name was pronounced in different regions of England.

The surname Tubby can also be traced back to certain place names in England, such as Tubbenden in Kent and Tubney in Berkshire. These place names may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in their respective areas.

One notable individual with the surname Tubby was Sir John Tubby, who lived in the late 16th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Lewes in 1597. Another was Thomas Tubby, an English clergyman born in 1590, who became the Rector of Lydney in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the surname gained further recognition with individuals like Captain Samuel Tubby, a naval officer who served during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 1660s. around the same time, the poet and playwright John Tubby was active in London's literary circles.

Moving into the 18th century, we find William Tubby, born in 1713, who was a prominent landowner and philanthropist in Gloucestershire. He founded several schools and endowed charities in the region.

As we can see, the surname Tubby has a rich history spanning several centuries in England, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergymen, military officers, and landowners, leaving a lasting mark on the annals of English history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tubby

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

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 Tubby was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 24.90% 119
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.35% 16
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 61.92% 296
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 6.49% 31
Hispanic Origin 3.35% 16

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 Tubby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 24.90% 30.17% -19.14%
Black 3.35% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 61.92% 61.10% 1.33%
Two or More Races 6.49% 4.99% 26.13%
Hispanic 3.35% 1.75% 62.75%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Tubby last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 9, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tubby-surname-popularity/.

"Tubby last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tubby-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 October, 2024

Tubby last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tubby-surname-popularity/.

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