Find out how popular the last name Tally is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tally.

Tally, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tally surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tally in America

Tally is the 12683rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tally surname appeared 2,435 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tally.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tally to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tally

The surname Tally is of English origin, originating in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "tailler," meaning "to cut" or "to tally." The name likely referred to an occupation, possibly a wood-cutter or a tax collector who kept tallies or records.

In medieval England, the use of surnames was not widespread, and people were often identified by their occupation, location, or physical characteristics. The earliest recorded instance of the surname Tally dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a certain "William le Talliur" was mentioned.

The name Tally is associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One notable bearer was Sir Ralph Tally (c. 1300-1370), a prominent English landowner and knight who served as a soldier and ambassador during the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. Another was John Tally (c. 1370-1452), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1422 to 1435.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Tally appeared in various spellings, including Talley, Talie, and Taillie. One notable bearer from this period was Sir Thomas Tally (c. 1535-1608), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1588.

In the 18th century, the name Tally was associated with several prominent figures in the American colonies. One was Robert Tally (c. 1680-1758), a wealthy landowner and merchant in Virginia who served as a justice of the peace and a member of the House of Burgesses. Another was William Tally (c. 1710-1782), a farmer and militia officer who fought in the French and Indian War and later served as a colonel in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the surname Tally. One was William Tally (1818-1893), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Connecticut from 1857 to 1859. Another was Thomas Tally (1830-1904), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Tally Ho Carriage Company in New York City.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tally

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tally.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tally was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tally has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tally was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tally, please contact us.

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