2000
#93,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Tazewell
A place name referring to a town in England or Virginia, United States.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Tazewell. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tazewell 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
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Tazewell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tazewell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tazewell
The surname Tazewell has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "tæs" meaning torrent or rush of water, and "wælla" meaning a spring or stream. This suggests that the name was likely associated with a person who lived near a forceful stream or rushing waters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Tateswelle" in Norfolk. This place name is believed to be the source of the Tazewell surname, with the spelling evolving over time.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical records and documents, often spelled differently, such as Tateswell, Tazewelle, or Taswell. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named William de Tateswelle was recorded as a landowner in Norfolk. Another early bearer of the name was John Tazewell, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1275.
As the surname spread across England, it also became associated with place names like Tasburgh in Norfolk and Tatsfield in Surrey. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.
One of the most prominent figures with the Tazewell surname was Sir Walter Tazewell (1531-1597), a courtier and politician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions in the English government.
Another notable individual was Littleton Waller Tazewell (1774-1860), an American statesman and lawyer from Virginia. He served as a U.S. Senator and Governor of Virginia, and played a significant role in the early political landscape of the United States.
Other historical figures with the Tazewell surname include:
1. Henry Tazewell (1753-1799), an American lawyer and politician from Virginia.
2. John Tazewell (1698-1767), a British architect and surveyor known for his work in London.
3. Richard Tazewell (1615-1678), an English minister and author who wrote on religious topics.
4. William Tazewell (1740-1814), an American lawyer and judge in Virginia.
5. Benjamin Tazewell (1716-1783), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
The Tazewell surname has a rich history spanning centuries, rooted in the Old English language and tied to various places across England. Its evolution and association with notable individuals throughout history have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tazewell
Among Census respondents with the surname Tazewell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tazewell 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 Tazewell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American76.7% · 168
- White11.9% · 26
- Two or more races5.9% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tazewell
Tazewell 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
#91,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
+21 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 2,620 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
+17 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #93,841 | 181 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #91,221 | 202 | 0.07 | +21 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 2,620 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | +17 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 702 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 Tazewell 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 | #91,221 | #90,519 | 0.8% |
| Count | 202 | 219 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tazewell bearers went from 202 to 219 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 702 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,221 to #90,519.
FAQ
Tazewell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tazewell?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Tazewell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Tazewell?
Tazewell ranks #90,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 219 people with the surname Tazewell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Tazewell.
Has Tazewell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tazewell went from 202 recorded bearers to 219. That is an increase of 17 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #91,221 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Tazewell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tazewell, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Tazewell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (168 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tazewell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (76.7%), White (11.9%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Tazewell (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 Tazewell mean?
A place name referring to a town in England or Virginia, United States. 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 Tazewell (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Tazewell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.