Explore the Family Name Tobe

The meaning of Tobe

1. North German; Dutch (Tobé): from a pet form of the Biblical personal name Tobias. 2. German: habitational name from a place in Thuringia called Toba. 3. Japanese (pronounced as two syllables): variously written, usually 戸部 ‘door’ and ‘department’ or 土辺 ‘earth’ and ‘side’. Found in parts of east-central Japan. A similar name with a long initial vowel, Tōbe 東部 (‘eastern department’), is found in the eastern Inland Sea region. None are common in Japan. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Atsushi, Mami, Takao, Tatsuro, Yoshika.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Tobe' saw a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In terms of rank, it fell from 28888 to 30600, representing a decrease of 5.93%. Moreover, the total count of individuals with the 'Tobe' surname also dipped slightly, moving from 775 in 2000 to 762 in 2010, a decreased by 1.68%. The proportion per 100k people also experienced a drop of 10.34%, going from 0.29 to 0.26.

20002010Change
Rank#28,888#30,600-5.93%
Count775762-1.68%
Proportion per 100k0.290.26-10.34%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tobe

When considering the ethnic identity associated with 'Tobe', the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting shifts over the same period. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by roughly 30%, dropping from 3.74% to 2.62%. On the other hand, there was a slight increase in those identifying as White, moving from 56.26% in 2000 to 57.35% in 2010, an increase of 1.94%. The Hispanic ethnicity surfaced for the first time in 2010 at 1.84%. The percentage of Black individuals decreased from 39.10% to 36.88%, translating to a decline of 5.68%. There were no changes for those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
White56.26%57.35%1.94%
Black39.1%36.88%-5.68%
Asian/Pacific Islander3.74%2.62%-29.95%
Hispanic0%1.84%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%