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

Tillett, 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 Tillett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tillett in America

Tillett is the 10243rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tillett surname appeared 3,147 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tillett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tillett 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 Tillett

The surname Tillett originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'til,' meaning 'tilled' or cultivated land, and 'hyll,' meaning a hill or slope. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a cultivated hill or slope.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Tilliett, found in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273. Other early spellings include Tylliet, Tiliet, and Tillyett, reflecting the varied pronunciations and spellings common in medieval times.

The surname is particularly associated with the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset, where it is believed to have originated. In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to settlements with similar names, such as Tilledels and Tillesdene, which may have been the birthplaces of the earliest bearers of the Tillett surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Tillett, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1307. Another early bearer of the name was William Tillett, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was Benjamin Tillett (1548-1627), an English clergyman and academic who served as a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, and later as the Rector of Whitchurch in Dorset.

During the English Civil War, Zachary Tillett (1620-1695) was a prominent Puritan and member of the Westminster Assembly, which drafted the Westminster Confession of Faith and other doctrinal standards for the Church of England.

In the 18th century, John Tillett (1736-1826) was a renowned English engraver and sculptor, known for his works in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Another notable figure was Sir John Tillett (1845-1920), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British Virgin Islands from 1904 to 1909.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Tillett, which has its roots in the English countryside and reflects the agricultural heritage of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tillett

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

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 Tillett 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 Tillett 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 Tillett was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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