2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tillich
A German surname derived from a place name or describing someone who came from a particular area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tillich. 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 Tillich 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 Tillich 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 Tillich, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tillich
The surname Tillich originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "tili," which means "plank" or "board." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who worked with wood or as a carpenter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tillich can be found in the historical records of the town of Tillich, located in the state of Saxony, Germany. This town's name is thought to have influenced the formation of the surname.
In the 14th century, there are records of a family with the surname Tillich living in the town of Merseburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This family was prominent in the local community and had ties to the church.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the surname Tillich, as it was primarily a German name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Tillich was Johannes Tillich, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1886 to 1965. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century and is known for his works on systematic theology and Christian existentialism.
Another notable figure with the surname Tillich was Paul Tillich, a German-American theologian and philosopher who lived from 1886 to 1965. He was a prominent figure in the development of existential philosophy and was widely respected for his contributions to the field of Christian apologetics.
In the 16th century, there was a German painter named Wolfgang Tillich, who was active in the region of Saxony. His works are known for their detailed portraiture and religious themes.
During the 19th century, a German writer named Gustav Tillich gained recognition for his novels and short stories, many of which explored themes of social justice and the human condition.
In the field of music, there was a German composer named Hans Tillich, who lived from 1910 to 1995. He was known for his orchestral works and film scores, and his compositions were influenced by both classical and contemporary styles.
While the surname Tillich has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the German culture and language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tillich
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillich, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tillich 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 Tillich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Two or more races8.3% · 9
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tillich
Tillich appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 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 Tillich 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 | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tillich bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tillich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tillich?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tillich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tillich?
Tillich 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 Tillich. 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 Tillich.
Has Tillich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tillich went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tillich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillich, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Black (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 Tillich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tillich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Black (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 Tillich (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 Tillich mean?
A German surname derived from a place name or describing someone who came from a particular area. 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 Tillich (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 common is the surname Tillich?
Find out how many people have the surname Tillich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.