2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tallen
A locational surname referring to someone from a town called Tallen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Tallen. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tallen 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Tallen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tallen
The surname TALLEN is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was likely a toponymic name derived from a place name, such as the village of Tallen or Tallin.
The name may have its roots in the Old English word "talu," meaning "tally" or "account," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been involved in recordkeeping or accounting professions. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Old English word "talian," meaning "to speak" or "to tell," implying that the name may have been associated with storytellers or public speakers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TALLEN surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John de Tallen in Oxfordshire. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a William Tallen is mentioned.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Talleyn, Taillene, and Tallyn, reflecting the fluidity of spelling practices during that time period. One notable bearer of the name was John Tallen, a merchant from Bristol, who is recorded in records from 1379.
During the 16th century, the TALLEN name gained prominence in the county of Devon, where several families bore the surname. One notable figure was Sir John Tallen (1525-1598), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Devon.
In the 17th century, the TALLEN name spread to other parts of England, including London and the counties of Somerset and Dorset. Thomas Tallen (1635-1712), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from London, was a notable bearer of the name during this period.
As the centuries passed, the TALLEN surname continued to be represented in various walks of life, from academia to the arts. Notable individuals with the surname include:
1. Robert Tallen (1794-1876), a renowned English poet and essayist.
2. Elizabeth Tallen (1818-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
3. Sir George Tallen (1856-1932), a British diplomat and statesman.
4. Arthur Tallen (1879-1946), an accomplished English composer and musician.
5. Mary Tallen (1906-1988), a celebrated British actress and theater director.
While the TALLEN surname may not be among the most common in English-speaking countries today, it has a rich and diverse history spanning centuries, reflecting the contributions of its bearers to various aspects of society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tallen
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tallen 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 Tallen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tallen
Tallen 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,526 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-14 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,953 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,526 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 13,953 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 Tallen 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 | #134,712 | #148,665 | -10.4% |
| Count | 125 | 111 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tallen bearers went from 125 to 111 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 13,953 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #148,665.
FAQ
Tallen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tallen?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Tallen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Tallen?
Tallen ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Tallen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tallen.
Has Tallen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tallen went from 125 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Tallen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tallen, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tallen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tallen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Black (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tallen (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 Tallen mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a town called Tallen. 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 Tallen (0.04 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 people share the surname Tallen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.