2000
#2,143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,560
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.77
Uncommon Last name
Tilley
Derived from the Old English term for a tiler or tile maker, an occupational surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,079 Americans carry the last name Tilley. That puts it at #2,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,069 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tilley 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 Tilley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,069
Census rank
#2,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,894 bearers of the surname Tilley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tilley
The surname Tilley is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name, derived from the Old English words 'tili' and 'leah', meaning 'fertile land' or 'meadow'. This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by individuals who resided near or owned lands with fertile soil.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1197, where it appears as 'de Tilli'. This reference indicates that the name was already established by the late 12th century and may have been associated with a particular place or location.
The Tilley surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled 'de Tylli'. This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and its potential association with the region of Bedfordshire during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, including 'Tyly' and 'Tylie', as seen in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1317. This variation in spelling was common during this period, reflecting the lack of standardized orthography.
Notable individuals bearing the Tilley surname throughout history include:
1. John Tilley (c. 1571-1621), an English passenger on the Mayflower who settled in Plymouth Colony.
2. Walter Tilley (c. 1600-1620), John Tilley's son, who also traveled on the Mayflower and was one of the first settlers in the Plymouth Colony.
3. Vere Tilley (1888-1964), an English actor and playwright known for his works in the early 20th century.
4. Maureen Tilley (born 1935), a British actress and singer who appeared in various television shows and films in the 1960s and 1970s.
5. Robert Tilley (1915-1987), an American politician who served as the United States Ambassador to Guyana from 1979 to 1981.
While the Tilley name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. The name has also undergone various spelling variations over time, including Tilly, Tillie, and Tylly, reflecting the fluidity of naming practices in earlier periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tilley
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tilley 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 Tilley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 12,602
- Black or African American6.3% · 937
- Two or more races4.2% · 626
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 433
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 190
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tilley
Tilley 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
#2,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,758
+198 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 5.34
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#2,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,894
-864 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 4.98
Rank movement Down 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,143 | 15,560 | 5.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,318 | 15,758 | 5.34 | +198 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #2,390 | 14,894 | 4.98 | -864 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 72 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 Tilley 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 | #2,318 | #2,390 | -3.1% |
| Count | 15,758 | 14,894 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.34 | 4.98 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tilley bearers went from 15,758 to 14,894 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,318 to #2,390.
FAQ
Tilley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tilley?
Name Census estimates that about 17,079 living Americans carry the surname Tilley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,069 residents.
How common is Tilley?
Tilley ranks #2,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,894 people with the surname Tilley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Tilley.
Has Tilley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tilley went from 15,758 recorded bearers to 14,894. That is a decrease of 864 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,318 to #2,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Tilley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Tilley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (12,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tilley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Tilley (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 Tilley mean?
Derived from the Old English term for a tiler or tile maker, an occupational surname. 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 Tilley (4.98 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 Tilley?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Tilley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.