2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tamilio
Possibly of Italian origin meaning someone from the town of Tamilio.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Tamilio. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tamilio 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Tamilio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamilio, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tamilio
The surname Tamilio is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Lazio, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "tamus," which means "black bryony" or a climbing plant with red berries and heart-shaped leaves.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it was often spelled as "Tamilio" or "Tamulio." It is thought to have been initially adopted as a surname by families residing in rural areas, possibly with ties to agriculture or viniculture, as the black bryony plant was commonly found growing in vineyards and fields.
One of the earliest known records of the name appears in a document from the town of Gaeta, in the province of Latina, dated 1268, which mentions a certain "Petrus Tamilio" as a landowner. Another notable reference is found in a 14th-century manuscript from the Archivio di Stato di Napoli, which lists a "Giovanna Tamilio" as a resident of the city of Naples.
In the 15th century, the Tamilio surname began to spread to other parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Abruzzo and Molise. During this time, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as "Tamiglio" and "Tamigli," reflecting the linguistic diversity of the Italian peninsula.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Tamilio was Niccolò Tamilio (c. 1420 – 1490), a renowned painter from the town of Fossombrone in the Marche region. His works can still be found in several churches and museums throughout Italy.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Tamilio (1524 – 1601), a humanist scholar and theologian from Naples, who served as a professor at the University of Naples and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of the city during the Renaissance.
In the 17th century, the Tamilio family gained prominence in the city of Gaeta, where they were involved in maritime trade and commerce. One member, Antonio Tamilio (1632 – 1710), was a successful merchant and ship owner, whose wealth and influence allowed him to become a prominent figure in the local community.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the Tamilio surname made significant contributions in various fields. Vincenzo Tamilio (1836 – 1905) was a renowned painter from Naples, known for his landscapes and historical scenes, while Giuseppe Tamilio (1858 – 1932) was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.
As the Tamilio surname spread throughout Italy and beyond, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamilio
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamilio, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tamilio 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 Tamilio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino11.0% · 13
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tamilio
Tamilio 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+7 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,662 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 2,662 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,901 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 Tamilio 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 | #130,610 | #143,511 | -9.9% |
| Count | 130 | 118 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tamilio bearers went from 130 to 118 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #143,511.
FAQ
Tamilio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tamilio?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Tamilio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Tamilio?
Tamilio ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Tamilio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Tamilio.
Has Tamilio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tamilio went from 130 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Tamilio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamilio, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Tamilio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tamilio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Hispanic (11.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Tamilio (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 Tamilio mean?
Possibly of Italian origin meaning someone from the town of Tamilio. 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 Tamilio (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 common is the surname Tamilio?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Tamilio, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.