2000
#66,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 279
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Tarkenton
A locational surname derived from the place name Tarkington in Lincolnshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 326 Americans carry the last name Tarkenton. That puts it at #73,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,051,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarkenton 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
326
1 in 1,051,394
Census rank
#73,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
284
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 284 bearers of the surname Tarkenton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarkenton
The surname Tarkenton is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "torr" meaning a tower or a rocky hill, and "ton" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a rocky hill or a town with a prominent tower.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tarkenton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century, where a certain Roger de Torkenton is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates that the name was likely associated with a specific place name at the time.
In the 13th century, the Tarkenton surname appeared in various legal documents and records across different regions of England, including the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex. These records showcase the gradual evolution of the name's spelling, with variations such as Torkenton, Turkenton, and Tarkington being used.
One notable historical figure bearing the Tarkenton surname was Sir John Tarkenton, a 15th-century English knight who served as a member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry VI. He was involved in the Wars of the Roses and fought for the Lancastrian cause.
Another individual of note was Richard Tarkenton, born in 1582 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent merchant and landowner. He played a significant role in the local community and served as a magistrate during the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Tarkenton name appeared in various parish records and registers across England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. One example is William Tarkenton, born in 1712 in Gloucestershire, who was a respected farmer and landowner.
Moving into the 19th century, the Tarkenton surname gained recognition through individuals like James Tarkenton, born in 1821 in Worcestershire. He was a renowned educator and headmaster of a prestigious boarding school in the region.
Throughout its history, the Tarkenton surname has been associated with various place names, such as Torkington in Cheshire, Tarrington in Herefordshire, and Torkington in Gloucestershire, further highlighting the name's connection to specific locations and settlements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarkenton
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarkenton 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 Tarkenton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 251
- Black or African American6.0% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 12
- Two or more races1.1% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarkenton
Tarkenton appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#68,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 287
+8 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 2,273 places
2020
#73,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
-3 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 5,008 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,274 | 279 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,547 | 287 | 0.10 | +8 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 2,273 places |
| 2020 | #73,555 | 284 | 0.10 | -3 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 5,008 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 Tarkenton 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 | #68,547 | #73,555 | -7.3% |
| Count | 287 | 284 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarkenton bearers went from 287 to 284 (-1.0% change). The surname moved down 5,008 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,547 to #73,555.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tarkenton
FAQ
Tarkenton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarkenton?
Name Census estimates that about 326 living Americans carry the surname Tarkenton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,051,394 residents.
How common is Tarkenton?
Tarkenton ranks #73,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 284 people with the surname Tarkenton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Tarkenton.
Has Tarkenton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarkenton went from 287 recorded bearers to 284. That is a decrease of 3 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #68,547 to #73,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarkenton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarkenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Tarkenton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (251 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarkenton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Black (6.0%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Tarkenton (2000, 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 Tarkenton mean?
A locational surname derived from the place name Tarkington in Lincolnshire, England. 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 Tarkenton (0.10 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 have the surname Tarkenton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.