2000
#10,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,971
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Tillis
Derived from Matilda or Tilia, likely referring to a person from a place abundant in lime trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,394 Americans carry the last name Tillis. That puts it at #10,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tillis 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
3.4K
1 in 100,988
Census rank
#10,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,960 bearers of the surname Tillis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tillis
The surname Tillis is of English origin, and it dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Tilley or Tillie, which was a township located in Shropshire, England. The name itself is a corruption of the Old English word "tigel," meaning "tile," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been involved in the production or use of tiles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tillis can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tillei." This reference indicates that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire, where it is spelled as "Tilley." This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that period, as they often evolved based on local dialects and pronunciation.
One notable figure bearing the surname Tillis was John Tillis, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Norwich during the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and held significant influence in the local community.
In the 16th century, the name Tillis gained further recognition when Sir William Tillis, a respected member of the gentry, was knighted by King Henry VIII in 1544. Sir William was known for his military service and his involvement in various diplomatic missions for the Crown.
Another individual of note was Robert Tillis, born in 1612 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in the city of Chester for over three decades.
During the 17th century, the surname Tillis also found its way to the American colonies, with records showing families bearing this name settling in Virginia and New England. One such individual was Thomas Tillis, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later became a prominent landowner and farmer in the region.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Tillis continued to spread across England and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by families and individuals seeking new opportunities or fleeing religious persecution. While the name's origins can be traced back to a specific location in Shropshire, its bearers have left their mark on various aspects of history, from trade and commerce to academia and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tillis
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tillis 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 Tillis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American53.3% · 1,577
- White36.0% · 1,066
- Two or more races5.4% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tillis
Tillis 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
#10,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,211
+240 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 23 places
2020
#10,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,960
-251 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,007 | 2,971 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,030 | 3,211 | 1.09 | +240 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 23 places |
| 2020 | #10,344 | 2,960 | 0.99 | -251 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 314 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 Tillis 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 | #10,030 | #10,344 | -3.1% |
| Count | 3,211 | 2,960 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 0.99 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tillis bearers went from 3,211 to 2,960 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,030 to #10,344.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tillis
FAQ
Tillis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tillis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,394 living Americans carry the surname Tillis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,988 residents.
How common is Tillis?
Tillis ranks #10,344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,960 people with the surname Tillis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tillis.
Has Tillis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tillis went from 3,211 recorded bearers to 2,960. That is a decrease of 251 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,030 to #10,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Tillis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tillis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tillis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.3% (1,577 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tillis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (53.3%), White (36.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Tillis (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 Tillis mean?
Derived from Matilda or Tilia, likely referring to a person from a place abundant in lime trees. 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 Tillis (0.99 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 Tillis?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Tillis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.