2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thayil
A surname of Indian origin indicating the person was from a region near a seashore or beach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Thayil. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thayil 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
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Thayil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thayil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thayil
The surname "THAYIL" has its origins in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is believed to have derived from the Malayalam word "thayi," which means "mother" or "mother's place." The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 14th century.
In ancient times, the Thayil surname was associated with the Nair community, a prominent Hindu caste in Kerala. Many families with this surname were landowners and played a significant role in the region's socio-economic fabric. The name's connection to the concept of "mother's place" suggests that it may have been used to identify families or individuals based on their ancestral matrilineal lineage.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Thayil surname can be found in the Kottayam Valiya Prabandham, a collection of literary works from the 14th century. This text references a prominent Nair family with the Thayil surname, indicating their influence and importance in the region during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Thayil surname. One such figure was Unnunili Nair Thayil (1675-1740), a renowned poet and scholar who made significant contributions to the Malayalam literary tradition. His works, including the epic poem "Nalacharitham Attakkatha," are celebrated for their poetic mastery and cultural significance.
Another prominent figure was Kozhikode Thayil Narayana Menon (1845-1919), a social reformer and writer who played a crucial role in advocating for the abolition of certain regressive practices within the Nair community. He was also instrumental in establishing educational institutions and promoting literacy in Kerala.
In the realm of performing arts, Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma (1876-1961), a renowned Kathakali dancer and teacher, hailed from the Thayil family. She was widely regarded as a living legend and played a pivotal role in preserving and propagating the traditional art form of Kathakali.
The Thayil surname has also been associated with places and localities in Kerala. For instance, Thayil Kulangara is a village in the Ernakulam district, and Thayil Puthussery is a locality in the Kottayam district. These place names hint at the historical presence and influence of families bearing the Thayil surname in these regions.
It is worth noting that while the Thayil surname has its roots in Kerala, over time, it has spread to other parts of India and even abroad due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the southern Indian state, where it holds a rich cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thayil
Among Census respondents with the surname Thayil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Thayil 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 Thayil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.7% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 7
- Black or African American4.4% · 6
- White3.6% · 5
- Two or more races1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thayil
Thayil appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+33 bearers (+31.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 26,341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +33 bearers (+31.7%) | Up 26,341 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 Thayil 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 | #156,044 | #129,703 | 16.9% |
| Count | 104 | 137 | 31.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thayil bearers went from 104 to 137 (+31.7% change). The surname moved up 26,341 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #129,703.
FAQ
Thayil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thayil?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Thayil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Thayil?
Thayil ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 137 people with the surname Thayil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Thayil.
Has Thayil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thayil went from 104 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 33 (+31.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Thayil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thayil, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (4.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thayil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thayil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.7%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (4.4%). 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 Thayil (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 Thayil mean?
A surname of Indian origin indicating the person was from a region near a seashore or beach. 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 Thayil (0.05 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 Thayil?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Thayil, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.