2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tesillo
A Spanish surname potentially derived from the word 'tesa' meaning tense or tight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tesillo. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tesillo 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Tesillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tesillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tesillo
The surname Tesillo has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "tejedor," which means "weaver," suggesting that the name likely referred to someone who worked in the textile trade or practiced the craft of weaving.
The earliest known records of the Tesillo name can be traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. It is believed that the name may have originally been a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of woven fabrics.
One of the earliest documented references to the Tesillo name can be found in the records of the Archivo Histórico Nacional in Madrid, which contains a document from 1423 mentioning a certain Juan Tesillo, a weaver from the city of Seville.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, as Spain expanded its influence through exploration and colonization, the Tesillo name spread to other parts of the Spanish Empire. Historical records show that individuals bearing the Tesillo surname were among the early settlers in the Americas, particularly in regions such as Mexico and Peru.
Notable individuals with the Tesillo surname include:
1. Francisco Tesillo (c. 1520 - 1585), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru and later became a prominent landowner in the region.
2. Alonso Tesillo (c. 1570 - 1640), a Spanish painter and artist who worked in the Mannerist style and was known for his religious paintings and frescoes.
3. Beatriz Tesillo (c. 1610 - 1685), a Spanish nun and writer who authored several works on religious themes and mysticism.
4. Miguel Tesillo y Vega (1725 - 1801), a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the 18th century.
5. Juana Tesillo (c. 1790 - 1860), a Spanish-born woman who was one of the earliest settlers in the city of Los Angeles, California, and contributed to the establishment of the local weaving and textile industry.
While the Tesillo surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with significant Spanish influence. However, its historical origins and connections to the weaving trade remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tesillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Tesillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tesillo 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 Tesillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.4% · 102
- White3.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tesillo
Tesillo 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
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
+25 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,685 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-45 bearers (-29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 36,511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | +25 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 9,685 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -45 bearers (-29.4%) | Down 36,511 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 Tesillo 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 | #114,424 | #150,935 | -31.9% |
| Count | 153 | 108 | -29.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tesillo bearers went from 153 to 108 (-29.4% change). The surname moved down 36,511 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tesillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tesillo?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tesillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tesillo?
Tesillo ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Tesillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Tesillo.
Has Tesillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tesillo went from 153 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 45 (-29.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #114,424 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tesillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tesillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tesillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tesillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.4%), White (3.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Tesillo (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 Tesillo mean?
A Spanish surname potentially derived from the word 'tesa' meaning tense or tight. 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 Tesillo (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 many people share the surname Tesillo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.