2000
#4,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,299
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.71
Rare Last name
Tiller
An occupational surname referring to a farmer or cultivator of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,406 Americans carry the last name Tiller. That puts it at #4,693 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tiller 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 Tiller with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,775
Census rank
#4,693
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,330 bearers of the surname Tiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4693rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tiller
The surname Tiller is of English origin and is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'tilian', meaning 'to till' or 'to cultivate'. It was initially used to refer to someone who worked as a farmer or a cultivator of the land.
This surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with the earliest recorded instance being found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1273, where a certain Roger le Tilere was mentioned. The prefix 'le' was commonly used at that time to indicate a person's occupation or place of origin.
Over the years, the surname evolved, and various spellings were used, such as Tyllere, Tylere, and Tyllar. These variations can be found in various historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a John le Tyllere was documented.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Tiller was William Tiller, a landowner and merchant who lived in the 14th century in Norfolk, England. Another prominent individual was John Tiller, who served as the Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1552, during the reign of Edward VI.
The Tiller surname is also associated with several place names, such as Tiller's Green in Essex and Tiller's Farm in Kent, both of which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname who lived or worked in those areas.
In the 17th century, a notable figure was Benjamin Tiller, a Puritan minister who lived from 1628 to 1704 and was known for his controversial religious views and writings. He was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, and served as a minister in several parishes throughout his life.
Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Tiller, a renowned architect and surveyor who lived from 1775 to 1843. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the former Bank of England building in the early 19th century.
The 19th century also saw the rise of John Tiller, a prominent theater manager and impresario who lived from 1854 to 1925. He was known for his work in developing and promoting musical theater in London's West End, and his name became synonymous with the famous Tiller Girls dance troupe.
While the surname Tiller may not be as common today as it was in centuries past, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its roots deeply intertwined with the agricultural and occupational history of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tiller 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 Tiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 5,295
- Black or African American19.8% · 1,449
- Two or more races3.8% · 281
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tiller
Tiller 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
#4,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,954
+655 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Up 8 places
2020
#4,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,330
-624 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,471 | 7,299 | 2.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,463 | 7,954 | 2.70 | +655 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 8 places |
| 2020 | #4,693 | 7,330 | 2.45 | -624 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 230 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 Tiller 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 | #4,463 | #4,693 | -5.2% |
| Count | 7,954 | 7,330 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.70 | 2.45 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tiller bearers went from 7,954 to 7,330 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,463 to #4,693.
FAQ
Tiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tiller?
Name Census estimates that about 8,406 living Americans carry the surname Tiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,775 residents.
How common is Tiller?
Tiller ranks #4,693 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.45 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 7,330 people with the surname Tiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.45 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 Tiller.
Has Tiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tiller went from 7,954 recorded bearers to 7,330. That is a decrease of 624 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,463 to #4,693.
What does the Census say about the background of Tiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tiller, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (19.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (5,295 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Black (19.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tiller (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 Tiller mean?
An occupational surname referring to a farmer or cultivator of land. 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 Tiller (2.45 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 Americans have the surname Tiller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.