2000
#21,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Tilly
A diminutive of the given name Matilda, ultimately derived from Old High German Mathilt meaning "mighty in battle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,291 Americans carry the last name Tilly. That puts it at #23,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 265,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tilly 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tilly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 265,495
Census rank
#23,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,126 bearers of the surname Tilly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tilly
The surname Tilly has its origins in the medieval French region of Normandy, where it first emerged in the 11th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "tille," which referred to a linden or lime tree. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or topographic identifier for someone who lived near a particularly notable linden tree or grove of such trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tilly appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Tillie." This ancient census commissioned by William the Conqueror provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in medieval England following the Norman conquest.
In the 12th century, records show a Willelmus de Tilli, whose name likely referred to the French town of Tillieres, located in the department of Eure. This indicates that some bearers of the Tilly surname may have originated from this specific place or its surrounding areas.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, including Tilly, Tilley, and Tylly, reflecting the natural evolution of spelling conventions over time. Notable historical figures from this era include Sir John Tilly (c. 1250-1315), a prominent English knight and landowner, and William de Tilly (c. 1270-1340), a respected clergyman who served as the Bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland.
In the 16th century, the Tilly name gained further prominence with the renowned military commander, Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (1559-1632). Born in the Spanish Netherlands (present-day Belgium), he rose to become a celebrated general in the Thirty Years' War, leading the Imperial Catholic forces to numerous victories.
Another notable figure was Sieur de Tilly (c. 1560-1626), a French explorer and colonist who played a crucial role in the early settlement of Quebec, Canada. His efforts in establishing trading posts and fortifications along the St. Lawrence River were instrumental in the region's development.
As the centuries progressed, the Tilly surname continued to spread across Europe and beyond, with bearers making significant contributions in various fields, from politics and warfare to literature and the arts. While the specific origins and meanings of surnames can evolve over time, the name Tilly remains a testament to its rich historical roots in medieval France and the enduring legacy of those who carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tilly
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tilly 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 Tilly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 958
- Black or African American7.2% · 81
- Two or more races4.0% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tilly
Tilly 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
#20,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,315
+149 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 765 places
2020
#23,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,126
-189 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 3,050 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,004 | 1,166 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,239 | 1,315 | 0.45 | +149 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 765 places |
| 2020 | #23,289 | 1,126 | 0.38 | -189 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 3,050 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 Tilly 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 | #20,239 | #23,289 | -15.1% |
| Count | 1,315 | 1,126 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.38 | -16.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tilly bearers went from 1,315 to 1,126 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 3,050 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,239 to #23,289.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tilly
FAQ
Tilly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tilly?
Name Census estimates that about 1,291 living Americans carry the surname Tilly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 265,495 residents.
How common is Tilly?
Tilly ranks #23,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,126 people with the surname Tilly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,291), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Tilly.
Has Tilly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tilly went from 1,315 recorded bearers to 1,126. That is a decrease of 189 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,239 to #23,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Tilly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilly, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tilly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (958 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tilly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Tilly (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 Tilly mean?
A diminutive of the given name Matilda, ultimately derived from Old High German Mathilt meaning "mighty in battle". 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 Tilly (0.38 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 Tilly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.