2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tillberry
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from a berry-producing area or farm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tillberry. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tillberry 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Tillberry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tillberry
The surname Tillberry is a locational name that originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "til," meaning "productive soil," and "berg," referring to a hill or slope. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where fertile land was found on a hill or hillside.
The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in the tax rolls of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire in the late 13th century, where it was spelled variations such as "Tilbery" and "Tylbery." These early records indicate that the name was most prevalent in the East Midlands region of England during that time.
In the 14th century, the Tillberry name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire, where a John de Tilbery was listed as a taxpayer in 1379. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by that point.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England completed in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Tillberry name. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as "Tilberia" and "Tilebert," which may have been the origins of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Tillberry surname was Robert Tillberry, who was born in Lincolnshire in the late 15th century. He was a landowner and local official in the village of Bardney during the reign of King Henry VIII.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Tillberry name was William Tillberry (1624-1688), a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Bristol. He was involved in the lucrative trade between England and the West Indies during that era.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Tillberry (1702-1778), who was a renowned midwife and herbalist in the village of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. She was known for her extensive knowledge of traditional remedies and was sought after by many families in the region.
During the 19th century, a prominent member of the Tillberry family was Samuel Tillberry (1818-1892), a successful industrialist and founder of the Tillberry Iron Works in Birmingham. His company played a significant role in the city's industrial development during the Victorian era.
In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the Tillberry surname was Sir Geoffrey Tillberry (1905-1988), a distinguished British diplomat who served as Ambassador to several countries, including France and Italy, during the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tillberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tillberry 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 Tillberry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 106
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tillberry
Tillberry 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,393 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-8 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,393 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 7,786 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 Tillberry 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 | #143,149 | #150,935 | -5.4% |
| Count | 116 | 108 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tillberry bearers went from 116 to 108 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 7,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tillberry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tillberry?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tillberry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tillberry?
Tillberry ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Tillberry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Tillberry.
Has Tillberry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tillberry went from 116 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tillberry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Tillberry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tillberry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Black (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Tillberry (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 Tillberry mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from a berry-producing area or farm. 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 Tillberry (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 Tillberry?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Tillberry on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.