2000
#61,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Rare Last name
Taye
A surname derived from the Yoruba word meaning "wealth has arrived".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,092 Americans carry the last name Taye. That puts it at #26,922 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 313,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Taye 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
1.1K
1 in 313,878
Census rank
#26,922
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
952
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 952 bearers of the surname Taye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26922nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Taye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Taye
The surname TAYE is believed to have originated in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word 'taie', which means 'a piece of cloth or linen'. This suggests that the name may have been occupational in origin, potentially referring to a person who worked with fabrics or linens.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TAYE surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of documents containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry 'Johannes de Taye' is listed, indicating that the name was present in Scotland during the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, the TAYE surname appeared in various records from the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. One notable individual from this period was Robert Taye, who was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, around 1520. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his name can be found in several local records from the mid-1500s.
During the 17th century, the TAYE surname began to spread across the Scottish borders into northern England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. One notable figure from this era was William Taye, born in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1625. He was a successful merchant and served as a magistrate in the town.
In the 18th century, the TAYE surname continued to be found in Scotland and northern England, with several individuals bearing the name achieving notable positions. One such person was James Taye, born in Edinburgh in 1741, who served as a respected surgeon in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable individual was Margaret Taye, born in Carlisle, Cumberland, in 1765. She was a renowned poet and author, publishing several volumes of poetry and prose works during her lifetime.
As the centuries progressed, the TAYE surname began to spread further across the British Isles and beyond, with individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, including academia, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Taye
Among Census respondents with the surname Taye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Taye 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 Taye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.8% · 826
- White10.0% · 95
- Two or more races2.0% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Taye
Taye 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
#39,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 557
+253 bearers (+83.2%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 22,227 places
2020
#26,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 952
+395 bearers (+70.9%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 12,564 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,713 | 304 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,486 | 557 | 0.19 | +253 bearers (+83.2%) | Up 22,227 places |
| 2020 | #26,922 | 952 | 0.32 | +395 bearers (+70.9%) | Up 12,564 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 Taye 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 | #39,486 | #26,922 | 31.8% |
| Count | 557 | 952 | 70.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.32 | 67.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Taye bearers went from 557 to 952 (+70.9% change). The surname moved up 12,564 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,486 to #26,922.
FAQ
Taye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Taye?
Name Census estimates that about 1,092 living Americans carry the surname Taye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 313,878 residents.
How common is Taye?
Taye ranks #26,922 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 952 people with the surname Taye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Taye.
Has Taye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Taye went from 557 recorded bearers to 952. That is an increase of 395 (+70.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,486 to #26,922.
What does the Census say about the background of Taye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Taye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Taye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (826 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Taye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.8%), White (10.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Taye (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 Taye mean?
A surname derived from the Yoruba word meaning "wealth has arrived". 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 Taye (0.32 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 last name Taye?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Taye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.