2000
#6,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,840
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Tiffany
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of a type of thin silk, muslin, or gauze.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,243 Americans carry the last name Tiffany. That puts it at #7,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tiffany 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tiffany with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,374
Census rank
#7,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,572 bearers of the surname Tiffany in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiffany, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tiffany
The surname Tiffany has its origins in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "tifaine," which means a type of silk or fabric. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the occupation of a silk or fabric merchant or weaver.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Tiffany dates back to the 12th century, although the spelling varied during this time. In the Domesday Book, a medieval census compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several references to individuals with similar names, such as "Tifene" and "Tiffeine."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tiffany was Roger Tiffany, who lived in Normandy in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was John Tiffany, a merchant from London who was mentioned in records from the early 15th century.
The surname Tiffany is also associated with several place names in England, such as Tiffany's Manor in Gloucestershire and Tiffany's Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Tiffany who owned or resided in those areas.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Tiffany:
1. Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902), an American businessman and founder of the renowned Tiffany & Co. jewelry company.
2. Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), an American artist and designer, best known for his stained glass work and the Tiffany lamps.
3. Osmond Tiffany (1823-1897), an American lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the New York Court of Appeals.
4. Sarah Tiffany (1791-1870), an American educator and one of the founders of the Hartford Female Seminary, an influential school for women in the 19th century.
5. Francis Tiffany (1827-1908), an American artist and member of the Hudson River School of painters, known for his landscape paintings.
The surname Tiffany has maintained its presence throughout history, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including business, art, law, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tiffany
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiffany, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tiffany 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 Tiffany surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 4,148
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 162
- Two or more races3.2% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 52
- Black or African American0.9% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tiffany
Tiffany 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
#6,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,871
+31 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 428 places
2020
#7,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,572
-299 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,472 | 4,840 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,900 | 4,871 | 1.65 | +31 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 428 places |
| 2020 | #7,067 | 4,572 | 1.53 | -299 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 167 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 Tiffany 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 | #6,900 | #7,067 | -2.4% |
| Count | 4,871 | 4,572 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.53 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tiffany bearers went from 4,871 to 4,572 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,900 to #7,067.
FAQ
Tiffany surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tiffany?
Name Census estimates that about 5,243 living Americans carry the surname Tiffany. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,374 residents.
How common is Tiffany?
Tiffany ranks #7,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,572 people with the surname Tiffany. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,243), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tiffany.
Has Tiffany become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tiffany went from 4,871 recorded bearers to 4,572. That is a decrease of 299 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,900 to #7,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Tiffany?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiffany, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Tiffany in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (4,148 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tiffany appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Tiffany (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 Tiffany mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of a type of thin silk, muslin, or gauze. 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 Tiffany (1.53 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 Tiffany?
See how many people have the surname Tiffany on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.