Find out how popular the last name Tiffin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tiffin.

Tiffin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tiffin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tiffin in America

Tiffin is the 27678th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tiffin surname appeared 869 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tiffin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tiffin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tiffin

The surname Tiffin is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "tiffin," meaning a mid-day repast or light meal. This term was likely introduced to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. The name was originally an occupational surname given to those who prepared or served such meals, perhaps to travelers or workers.

The earliest known record of the surname Tiffin dates back to the 13th century in the county of Lincolnshire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a mention of a Richard Tiffin residing in that region. Over time, the name spread to other parts of the country, with variations in spelling such as Tiffyn, Tiffyne, and Tiffyne.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Sir Robert Tiffin (1495-1568), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1557-1558. He played a role in the turbulent religious and political events of the English Reformation during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I.

In the 17th century, Edward Tiffin (1619-1674) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of Oxford. His son, Walter Tiffin (1655-1718), followed in his footsteps and became a respected barrister and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark.

The Tiffin surname also has connections to the American colonies. William Tiffin (1695-1759) was an early settler in Virginia, arriving in the 1720s. His grandson, Edward Tiffin (1766-1829), was a prominent figure in the early history of Ohio, serving as the first governor of the state from 1803 to 1807.

Another notable individual with the Tiffin surname was Sir Henry Tiffin (1819-1905), a British civil engineer and surveyor who made significant contributions to the development of infrastructure in India during the 19th century. He was knighted for his services to the British Empire.

While the surname Tiffin is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and continues to be carried by individuals in various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tiffin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tiffin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tiffin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tiffin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tiffin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tiffin, please contact us.

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