2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tiel
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "tile" meaning tent or awning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Tiel. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tiel 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Tiel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.0%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tiel
The surname Tiel originated from the Low Countries, primarily in the regions of the Netherlands and Belgium, during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "tiel," which means "tile" or "roof tile," suggesting a connection to the occupation of tile making or selling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tiel can be traced back to the 14th century in the city of Tiel, located in the Dutch province of Gelderland. This city's name is thought to have influenced the development of the surname, as it was a prominent center for tile production and trade during that era.
The first documented mention of the surname Tiel appears in the records of the city of Leiden in the year 1389, where a certain Jan Tiel is listed as a tile merchant. This entry provides evidence of the surname's association with the tile industry and its early use in the Netherlands.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Tiel surname gained wider recognition and spread across various regions of the Low Countries. Notably, in the year 1487, a prominent figure named Willem Tiel was recorded as a member of the city council in the town of Delft, known for its iconic blue-and-white ceramic tiles.
Another notable bearer of the Tiel surname was Pieter Tiel, a Dutch painter born in 1615 in the city of Leiden. His works, primarily depicting still lifes and genre scenes, are preserved in various museums and private collections throughout Europe.
In the 18th century, the Tiel surname found its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of Johannes Tiel, a Dutch immigrant who settled in New Amsterdam (present-day New York) in 1754.
Throughout history, the Tiel surname has been associated with various professions and trades related to the tile industry, including tile makers, tile merchants, and tile painters. The name has also been linked to individuals from other occupations, such as artists, craftsmen, and tradesmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tiel
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.0%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tiel 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 Tiel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.1% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino20.0% · 22
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tiel
Tiel 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,598 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 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 6,598 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 Tiel 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 | #149,446 | 4.2% |
| Count | 104 | 110 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tiel bearers went from 104 to 110 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 6,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #149,446.
FAQ
Tiel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tiel?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Tiel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Tiel?
Tiel ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Tiel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Tiel.
Has Tiel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tiel went from 104 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Tiel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiel, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.0%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tiel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.1% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tiel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.1%), Hispanic (20.0%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Tiel (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 Tiel mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "tile" meaning tent or awning. 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 Tiel (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 Tiel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.