SQL Server: need a query that returns list of tables

This gives you the list of tables.  With rowcounts is also possible but I don't have that SQL handy, will dig..

SELECT name FROM sys.tables ORDER BY name

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This will work:

     CREATE TABLE #TableCounts (TableName VARCHAR(500), RecordCount INT  )
     INSERT #TableCounts
     EXEC sp_msForEachTable  'SELECT PARSENAME(''?'', 1), COUNT(*) FROM ? WITH (NOLOCK)' ;

     SELECT TableName,RecordCount
     FROM #TableCounts
     WHERE RecordCount > 0
     ORDER BY TableName

sys.dm_db_partition_stats view can give you that instantly, although it's not guaranteed to be 100% accurate if there are in-flight INSERTs/DELETEs to the table at that moment.

SELECT OBJECT_NAME(object_id) AS table_name
FROM sys.dm_db_partition_stats
WHERE index_id IN (0, 1) AND OBJECTPROPERTYEX(object_id, 'IsUserTable') = 1
GROUP BY object_id
HAVING SUM(row_count) >= 1
ORDER BY table_name

Of you can do a:
IF EXISTS(SELECT TOP (1) * FROM dbo.<table_name>)
for every table to test for a row.  Don't count every row, that could be a HUGE waste of resources since you don't need an actual count.