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

Tillotson, 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 Tillotson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tillotson in America

Tillotson is the 7972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tillotson surname appeared 4,149 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 Tillotson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tillotson 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 Tillotson

The surname Tillotson has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Tilston, which is found in Cheshire and Leicestershire. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words "til" meaning "noble" or "good," and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Tilston." This suggests that the name was initially adopted by someone who hailed from the village of Tilston. The name also appears in other historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it is spelled "Tilieston."

In the 16th century, the Tillotson family was well-established in Yorkshire, with several members holding positions of prominence. One notable figure was John Tillotson (1630-1694), an English cleric who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1691 until his death. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential preachers and theologians of his time.

Another notable Tillotson was Robert Tillotson (1572-1637), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Alphege Church in Canterbury. He wrote several works on theology and church history, including "The Statutes of the Church of England."

In the 17th century, the Tillotson name was also found in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Tillotson (1638-1718), who was born in Massachusetts and served as a deacon in the Congregational Church. He played a significant role in the early development of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Another prominent figure with the surname Tillotson was Thomas Tillotson (1750-1832), an English physician and writer who was a pioneer in the field of hygiene and public health. He wrote several influential works on the subject, including "A Treatise on the Preservation of Health and the Prevention of Diseases."

Throughout history, the Tillotson name has been associated with various places, including the village of Tilston in Cheshire, as well as the towns of Tilston and Tilston Fearnall in Leicestershire. These place names are believed to have contributed to the formation of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt locational names based on their place of origin or residence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tillotson

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

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

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

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