2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thiffault
A French surname originating as a topographic name for someone living near a clump of trees or thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Thiffault. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thiffault 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Thiffault in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiffault, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thiffault
The surname Thiffault has its roots in France, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "tiefer," which means "to dye" or "to color." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with an occupation related to dyeing or coloring fabrics.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Thieffault, Thieffault, and Thieffault, were common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jean Thiffault, a merchant from the town of Amiens in northern France, who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Pierre Thiffault, a renowned dyer from Paris, who was mentioned in a guild register dating back to the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the baptismal records of the parish of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois in Paris. One such entry, dated 1567, recorded the birth of Marie Thiffault, the daughter of a local dyer named Jacques Thiffault.
As the name spread across France, it also found its way into other regions and countries. In the 17th century, a branch of the Thiffault family migrated to the French colonies in North America, particularly in the region of Quebec. One of the earliest recorded settlers bearing the name was François Thiffault, who arrived in Quebec City in 1663.
Among the notable figures in history who bore the Thiffault surname, one can mention:
1. Michel Thiffault (1692-1768), a French-Canadian farmer and militia captain from Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
2. Étienne Thiffault (1745-1819), a Quebec-born merchant and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.
3. Émilie Thiffault (1843-1924), a French-Canadian educator and author from Quebec, known for her work in promoting education for women.
4. Louis-Édouard Thiffault (1875-1956), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
5. Henri Thiffault (1894-1971), a French-Canadian artist and painter from Montreal, renowned for his landscapes and portraits.
While the surname Thiffault may not be among the most common today, it has a rich history that spans centuries and can be traced back to its origins in medieval France, where it was closely tied to the dyeing and coloring trades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thiffault
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiffault, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Thiffault 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 Thiffault surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thiffault
Thiffault 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+12 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,183 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 3,183 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 6,929 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 Thiffault 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 | #147,253 | #154,182 | -4.7% |
| Count | 112 | 103 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thiffault bearers went from 112 to 103 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 6,929 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #154,182.
FAQ
Thiffault surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thiffault?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Thiffault. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Thiffault?
Thiffault ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Thiffault. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Thiffault.
Has Thiffault become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thiffault went from 112 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Thiffault?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thiffault, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Thiffault in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thiffault appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Thiffault (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 Thiffault mean?
A French surname originating as a topographic name for someone living near a clump of trees or thicket. 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 Thiffault (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 Thiffault?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Thiffault on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.