2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Thilman
Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "thil" meaning firm or steady, and "man" meaning man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Thilman. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thilman 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Thilman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thilman
The surname THILMAN is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Rhineland, where it was likely a habitational name derived from a place name or a topographic feature.
One theory suggests that THILMAN may be derived from the Old German words "tilli" or "dilli," meaning "hill" or "ridge," combined with the suffix "-mann," which translates to "man" or "person." This would indicate that the name initially referred to someone who resided near a hill or ridge.
Alternatively, THILMAN could be a variant of the name "Tillmann," which is thought to have originated from the personal name "Tillo" or "Dillo," a diminutive form of names like Theodulf or Dietrich.
Historical records indicate that the name THILMAN appeared in various forms throughout the centuries. One of the earliest known references is found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the Westphalian region of Germany, dating back to the 9th century.
In the 12th century, a nobleman named Thilmann von Münsheim was mentioned in the Annals of the Monastery of Zwiefalten, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg. Another notable figure was Johann Thilmann, a German theologian and reformer born in 1500, who played a role in the Protestant Reformation.
During the 16th century, the surname THILMAN was also associated with the city of Cologne, as evidenced by the existence of a family coat of arms registered in the city's records.
In the 17th century, Gottfried Thilmann (1628-1696) was a prominent German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Another notable individual was Johann Gottlieb Thilmann (1749-1824), a German theologian and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Halle.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Tilmann, Tillmann, and Thillmann, reflecting local linguistic influences and dialects.
While the name THILMAN is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of German surnames, carrying with it a fascinating history that spans centuries and connects to various aspects of German culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thilman
Among Census respondents with the surname Thilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Thilman 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 Thilman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thilman
Thilman 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-12 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,595 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 22,595 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 5,443 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 Thilman 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 | #158,432 | #152,989 | 3.4% |
| Count | 102 | 105 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thilman bearers went from 102 to 105 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 5,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,989.
FAQ
Thilman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thilman?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Thilman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Thilman?
Thilman ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Thilman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Thilman.
Has Thilman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thilman went from 102 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Thilman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thilman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Thilman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thilman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Thilman (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 Thilman mean?
Derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "thil" meaning firm or steady, and "man" meaning man. 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 Thilman (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 Thilman?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Thilman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.