2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tilberg
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Tilberg. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tilberg 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Tilberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tilberg
The surname Tilberg originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the province of North Brabant. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "til" meaning "little hill" or "mound," and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." Together, these words suggest that the name Tilberg referred to someone who lived near a small hill or elevated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tilberg can be found in a registry of land ownership from the city of Tilburg, dated around 1350. This registry mentions a family with the surname Tilberg as landowners in the area, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.
In the 15th century, a notable individual bearing the name Tilberg was Jan van Tilberg, a merchant and diplomat who represented the Duchy of Brabant in trade negotiations with England and France. He was born in Tilburg around 1420 and died in 1498.
Another significant figure was Hendrik Tilberg, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Tilburg around 1520 and is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums across the Netherlands.
In the 17th century, the name Tilberg appeared in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). One such record mentions a sailor named Pieter Tilberg, who embarked on a voyage to the East Indies in 1645.
During the 18th century, the name Tilberg was associated with a notable family of brewers in the city of Tilburg. The Tilberg family brewery was established in 1730 and remained in operation for over two centuries, becoming a prominent local business.
Another individual of note was Maria Tilberg, a Dutch writer and poet who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She was born in Tilburg in 1785 and is best known for her collection of poems titled "Bloemlezing" (Anthology), published in 1820.
Throughout history, the surname Tilberg has been spelled in various ways, including Tilburgh, Tilborch, and Tilborgh, reflecting regional variations and linguistic changes over time. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to the small hills and elevated areas near the city of Tilburg in the Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tilberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tilberg 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 Tilberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tilberg
Tilberg 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,139 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,465 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 14,139 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,465 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 Tilberg 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 | #147,253 | #142,788 | 3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 119 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tilberg bearers went from 112 to 119 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,465 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #142,788.
FAQ
Tilberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tilberg?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Tilberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Tilberg?
Tilberg ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Tilberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Tilberg.
Has Tilberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tilberg went from 112 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Tilberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Tilberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tilberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (0.8%). 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 Tilberg (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 Tilberg mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or ridge. 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 Tilberg (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 have the last name Tilberg?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Tilberg at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.