2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tamulis
A surname derived from the Lithuanian word "tamulas," meaning dark or swarthy in appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Tamulis. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tamulis 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Tamulis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tamulis
The surname Tamulis is of Lithuanian origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Lithuanian word "tamulas," which means "dark" or "swarthy." This suggests that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a darker complexion or darker hair color.
The earliest recorded instances of the Tamulis surname can be found in various historical documents from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which encompassed present-day Lithuania, Belarus, and parts of Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Samogitia (Žemaitija) and Aukštaitija, where various spelling variations were common, such as Tamulis, Tamulys, and Tamulevicius.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Tamulis name was Jonas Tamulis, a Lithuanian nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 16th century. Records show that he owned extensive estates in the Kaunas region and played a significant role in local politics and administration.
In the 17th century, the Tamulis surname appeared in several chronicles and manuscripts, including the Metrica of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which documented legal transactions and official records. One notable mention is Martynas Tamulis, a merchant from Vilnius who was involved in trade with neighboring regions.
As the surname spread throughout Lithuania, it also found its way into other parts of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Kazimieras Tamulis was a respected scholar and educator in the city of Krakow, Poland.
Another notable bearer of the Tamulis name was Antanas Tamulis, a Lithuanian writer and poet who lived from 1805 to 1878. He is remembered for his contributions to the Lithuanian national revival movement and his efforts to preserve the Lithuanian language and culture.
In the 20th century, the Tamulis surname gained recognition through the work of Juozas Tamulis, a Lithuanian-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1909 to 1990. His works are displayed in various museums and public spaces, and he is celebrated for his unique style and ability to capture the essence of Lithuanian culture in his art.
While the Tamulis surname has maintained its presence in Lithuania and among Lithuanian diaspora communities around the world, it has also spread to other countries through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Lithuania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tamulis
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tamulis 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 Tamulis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tamulis
Tamulis 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-18 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,583 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 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 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 26,583 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Tamulis 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tamulis bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Tamulis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tamulis?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Tamulis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Tamulis?
Tamulis ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Tamulis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tamulis.
Has Tamulis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tamulis went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Tamulis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tamulis, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Tamulis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tamulis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (2.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Tamulis (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 Tamulis mean?
A surname derived from the Lithuanian word "tamulas," meaning dark or swarthy in appearance. 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 Tamulis (0.03 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 have the last name Tamulis?
You can see how many people have the last name Tamulis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.