2000
#34,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 626
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Tamblyn
A surname potentially derived from the Welsh place name Tal-y-llyn, meaning "end of the lake".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 695 Americans carry the last name Tamblyn. That puts it at #39,225 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 493,172 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tamblyn 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 Tamblyn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
695
1 in 493,172
Census rank
#39,225
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
606
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 606 bearers of the surname Tamblyn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39225th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamblyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tamblyn
The surname Tamblyn originated in Cornwall, England, and it is believed to have derived from the Cornish place name "Tamblyn" or "Tammelyn," which translates to "the homestead in the deep valley." This name is believed to have been in use as early as the 13th century.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Tamblyn can be found in the "Assize Rolls of Cornwall" from 1284, where a person named Roger de Tamblyn was mentioned. Additionally, the "Feet of Fines of Cornwall" from 1327 references a John de Tamblyn.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Tamlyn," "Tamelyn," and "Tamblyn." One notable figure from this period was John Tamblyn, who was born in 1530 and served as the Mayor of Bodmin, Cornwall, in 1573.
In the 17th century, the name continued to be prevalent in Cornwall, with several individuals bearing the surname appearing in parish records. One such individual was William Tamblyn, born in 1642, who was a prominent landowner in the area.
The 18th century saw the name spreading beyond Cornwall, with some Tamblyns migrating to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. An example is Thomas Tamblyn, born in 1725, who was a merchant and landowner in Virginia.
Moving into the 19th century, the Tamblyn surname was well-established in Cornwall and beyond. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Lewis Tamblyn (1809-1892), a British naval officer and explorer, and Reuben Tamblyn (1841-1917), a Cornish poet and writer.
Throughout history, the Tamblyn name has been associated with various professions, including landowners, merchants, poets, and military figures. While the name originated in Cornwall, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamblyn
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamblyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tamblyn 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 Tamblyn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 556
- Two or more races3.8% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tamblyn
Tamblyn 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
#35,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 632
+6 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,323 places
2020
#39,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 606
-26 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 3,643 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,259 | 626 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,582 | 632 | 0.21 | +6 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 1,323 places |
| 2020 | #39,225 | 606 | 0.20 | -26 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 3,643 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 Tamblyn 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 | #35,582 | #39,225 | -10.2% |
| Count | 632 | 606 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.20 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tamblyn bearers went from 632 to 606 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 3,643 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,582 to #39,225.
FAQ
Tamblyn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tamblyn?
Name Census estimates that about 695 living Americans carry the surname Tamblyn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 493,172 residents.
How common is Tamblyn?
Tamblyn ranks #39,225 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 606 people with the surname Tamblyn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (695), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Tamblyn.
Has Tamblyn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tamblyn went from 632 recorded bearers to 606. That is a decrease of 26 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,582 to #39,225.
What does the Census say about the background of Tamblyn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamblyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Tamblyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tamblyn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Tamblyn (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 Tamblyn mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Welsh place name Tal-y-llyn, meaning "end of the lake". 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 Tamblyn (0.20 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 are called Tamblyn?
See how many people have the last name Tamblyn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.