Explore the Family Name Taw

The meaning of Taw

1. English (Hampshire): habitational name from the name of the River Taw (Devon). The river name may derive from a British word based on the Indo-European root ta-, tə- ‘melt, flow’. 2. Burmese (Karen): from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, which is interpreted as ‘true, honest’, and also from a variant of the personal name Htaw with various possible meanings (including ‘tall, long’). — Note: Since Karens do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Taw in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Taw has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 99,725 and by 2010, its rank rose to 54,637, reflecting a change of 45.21%. The total count of individuals bearing the surname also grew from 168 in 2000 to 377 in 2010, an impressive growth of 124.4%. Moreover, the proportion of people with the surname Taw per 100,000 also increased by 116.67% during this period, moving from 0.06 to 0.13.

20002010Change
Rank#99,725#54,63745.21%
Count168377124.4%
Proportion per 100k0.060.13116.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Taw

When it comes to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that most individuals with the surname Taw identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This demographic grew from representing 72.02% in 2000 to 84.62% in 2010, a rise of 17.50%. The percentage identifying as White saw a decrease from 20.83% to 10.88%. There was also a noticeable decline in those identifying as two or more races, from 3.57% to 1.86%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic and Black populations showed an emergence in 2010 not present in the previous decade, both standing at 1.33%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained the same at 0.00% for both recorded years.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander72.02%84.62%17.5%
White20.83%10.88%-47.77%
Two or More Races3.57%1.86%-47.9%
Hispanic0%1.33%0%
Black0%1.33%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%