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

Tupou, 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 Tupou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tupou in America

Tupou is the 32123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tupou surname appeared 718 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 Tupou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tupou 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 Tupou

The surname Tupou is believed to have originated in Tonga, an archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean. The name traces its roots back to the 17th century and is derived from the Tongan words "tu" meaning "to stand up" and "pou" meaning "post" or "pillar."

Historically, the name Tupou has been associated with the ruling dynasty of Tonga. The first documented use of the name dates back to around 1660, when it was recorded in ancient Tongan oral traditions and genealogical records. The earliest known bearer of the name was Tu'i Tonga Tupou, a prominent chief who ruled over parts of the Tongan islands in the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, the name gained wider recognition with the accession of King George Tupou I to the Tongan throne in 1845. He was responsible for unifying the Tongan islands and establishing a constitutional monarchy. His grandson, King George Tupou II, who reigned from 1893 to 1918, is credited with introducing modern reforms and opening Tonga to Western influences.

Another notable figure with the surname Tupou was Queen Salote Tupou III, who ruled Tonga from 1918 to 1965. She is remembered for her presence at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, where she braved heavy rain without an umbrella, earning her widespread admiration. Her son, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, succeeded her and reigned until his death in 2006.

Among other historical references, the name Tupou appears in the records of the London Missionary Society, which established a presence in Tonga in the early 19th century. The name is also found in various accounts and journals kept by early European explorers and missionaries who visited the Tongan islands.

While the surname Tupou has its origins in Tonga, it has gained recognition globally due to the international prominence of the Tongan royal family and the diaspora of Tongan communities around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tupou

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!