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

Tillson, 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 Tillson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tillson in America

Tillson is the 21237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tillson surname appeared 1,235 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tillson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tillson 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 Tillson

The surname Tillson is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a tiller or ploughman. It likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name for someone whose profession was tilling the soil or ploughing fields.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in northern England, areas known for their fertile agricultural lands. It may have evolved from the Old English word "tilian," meaning "to till" or "to cultivate."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tillson can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "Tillesoun." This suggests the name was already established in that region by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Tillson surname appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Yorkshire, where it was spelled in various ways, including "Tylleson" and "Tylson." The variations in spelling were common during this period due to inconsistent record-keeping practices.

Notable individuals with the surname Tillson include John Tillson (1630-1690), a colonial American settler and one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut. He emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and later moved to Connecticut.

Another notable figure was William Tillson (1772-1856), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was renowned for his bravery and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, Charles Tillson (1833-1901) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist. He amassed a substantial fortune through his investments in the railroad industry and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions.

Emily Tillson (1872-1942) was a British artist and illustrator who gained recognition for her watercolor paintings and illustrations in children's books during the early 20th century.

Richard Tillson (1915-1988) was an American author and historian who wrote extensively about the colonial period in New England. His book "Chesapeake Chronicles" became a notable work on the history of the Chesapeake Bay region.

While the Tillson surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots of medieval England, where it emerged as an occupational name for those who tilled the land.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tillson

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

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

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

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