Tyell
An invented name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Tyell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tyell today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tyell births was 2005 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tyell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tyell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2005
5 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#13,226
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Tyell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tyell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tyell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tyell
The name Tyell is believed to have originated from the Old English language, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period around the 5th to 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "tewalaz," which translates to "strong" or "powerful." This name was likely used to convey strength and resilience, characteristics highly valued in ancient Germanic cultures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tyell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Tyell in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman Conquest.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Tyell remained relatively uncommon but can be found in various historical records and chronicles. One notable bearer of the name was Tyell of Walsingham, a 14th-century English monk and chronicler who authored the "Chronica Monasterii S. Albani," a valuable historical account of the period.
In the late 15th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Tiel," appeared in the Netherlands. This form was used by Tiel Willemsz Roozeboom, a renowned Dutch glass painter and artist who lived from 1482 to 1542. His work can be found in numerous churches and cathedrals throughout the Netherlands.
Moving forward to the 17th century, the name Tyell surfaced in Scotland, where it was occasionally used as a variation of the more common name "Tyle." One such individual was Tyell Macdonald, a Scottish nobleman and member of the Clan Donald, who lived from 1620 to 1689.
In more recent times, the name Tyell has been relatively rare, but a few notable individuals have carried it. One example is Tyell Walker, an American professional basketball player born in 1992, who played for several teams in the NBA G League and overseas.
While the name Tyell may not be as widespread as some other names, its long history and roots in ancient Germanic languages give it a sense of strength and resilience. The individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries have contributed to its unique legacy across various cultures and regions.
People
Tyell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tyell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tyell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tyell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tyell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Tyell a common name?
We classify Tyell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tyell most popular?
The single biggest year for Tyell was 2005, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tyell is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tyell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tyell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tyell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tyell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tyell in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tyell can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Tyell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.