2000
#6,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Tighe
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Taidhe," meaning "poet" or "philosopher."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,480 Americans carry the last name Tighe. That puts it at #6,783 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,546 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tighe 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 Tighe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,546
Census rank
#6,783
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,779 bearers of the surname Tighe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6783rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tighe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tighe
The surname Tighe is of Irish origin and is believed to have emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic surname "O'Taidhg," which means "descendant of Tadhg." Tadhg is an old Irish personal name that translates to "poet" or "philosopher."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tighe date back to the 13th century when it appeared in various Irish annals and manuscripts. One of the earliest documented references is in the Annals of Ulster, which mentions a "Tighe O'Brien" in the year 1234.
The Tighe surname was particularly prevalent in County Westmeath, Ireland, where it is believed to have originated. The name is also associated with several notable place names in Ireland, such as Tighemon in County Wicklow and Tighery in County Westmeath.
One of the most prominent historical figures bearing the surname Tighe was William Tighe (1766-1816), an Irish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Wicklow in the Irish House of Commons.
Another notable individual was Mary Tighe (1772-1810), an Irish poet and writer best known for her work "Psyche, or the Legend of Love." Her poetry was highly acclaimed during her lifetime and influenced many Romantic poets of the era.
In the 16th century, there was a Richard Tighe (1537-1597) who served as Archbishop of Armagh and was a prominent figure in the Irish Catholic Church during the Reformation period.
Edward Tighe (1629-1703) was an Irish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Kilkenny in the Irish Parliament of 1689.
John Tighe (1768-1837) was an Irish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of Irish flora and fauna. He published several works, including "The Flora of County Kilkenny" and "Statistical Observations Relative to the County of Kilkenny."
While the surname Tighe has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tighe
Among Census respondents with the surname Tighe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tighe 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 Tighe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 4,421
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 147
- Two or more races3.0% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tighe
Tighe 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
#6,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,942
+77 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 387 places
2020
#6,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,779
-163 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,437 | 4,865 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,824 | 4,942 | 1.68 | +77 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 387 places |
| 2020 | #6,783 | 4,779 | 1.60 | -163 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 41 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 Tighe 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 | #6,824 | #6,783 | 0.6% |
| Count | 4,942 | 4,779 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.60 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tighe bearers went from 4,942 to 4,779 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,824 to #6,783.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tighe
FAQ
Tighe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tighe?
Name Census estimates that about 5,480 living Americans carry the surname Tighe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,546 residents.
How common is Tighe?
Tighe ranks #6,783 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 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 4,779 people with the surname Tighe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,480), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 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 Tighe.
Has Tighe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tighe went from 4,942 recorded bearers to 4,779. That is a decrease of 163 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,824 to #6,783.
What does the Census say about the background of Tighe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tighe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Tighe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (4,421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tighe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Tighe (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 Tighe mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Taidhe," meaning "poet" or "philosopher." 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 Tighe (1.60 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 Tighe?
You can see how many people have the surname Tighe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.