2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Telleen
Of Gaelic origin, a surname derived from an old Irish personal name meaning "powerful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Telleen. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Telleen 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Telleen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Telleen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Telleen
The surname TELLEEN originated in Ireland, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "teileann," which means "descendant" or "offspring." This suggests that the name likely referred to a familial lineage or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle that covers events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. In the entry for the year 1085, a person named "Telleen" is mentioned as a member of the Uí Briúin dynasty, which ruled over parts of Connacht, a western province of Ireland.
During the Middle Ages, the TELLEEN surname was concentrated primarily in the counties of Mayo and Sligo in the Connacht region. The name appears in various historical records from that era, such as the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, which were administrative records maintained by the English crown in Ireland.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Domnall Ó Telleen was a prominent scholar and poet who lived in County Mayo. He was renowned for his works in the Irish language and his contributions to the preservation of Gaelic literature and culture.
Another influential individual bearing the TELLEEN surname was Tadhg Ó Telleen, who lived in the 16th century. He was a chieftain and leader of the Ó Telleen clan in County Sligo, and played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars against English rule.
During the 17th century, the name TELLEEN can be found in records related to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster. Some members of the TELLEEN family were granted lands in County Donegal as part of this plantation scheme.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Seán Ó Telleen was a renowned Irish harpist and composer. He was born in County Mayo in 1720 and is credited with preserving and promoting traditional Irish music during a time when it was facing suppression under English rule.
Throughout the centuries, the TELLEEN surname has undergone various spellings, such as Tealeen, Tealon, and Telyn, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the ancient Gaelic language and the rich cultural heritage of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Telleen
Among Census respondents with the surname Telleen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Telleen 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 Telleen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 104
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Telleen
Telleen 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,624 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,624 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Telleen 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Telleen bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Telleen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Telleen?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Telleen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Telleen?
Telleen ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Telleen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Telleen.
Has Telleen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Telleen went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Telleen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Telleen, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Telleen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Telleen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Telleen (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 Telleen mean?
Of Gaelic origin, a surname derived from an old Irish personal name meaning "powerful". 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 Telleen (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 Telleen?
You can see how many people are called Telleen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.