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

Tilson, 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 Tilson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tilson in America

Tilson is the 10114th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tilson surname appeared 3,186 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 Tilson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tilson 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 Tilson

The surname Tilson has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Tilston" or "Tilston Fearnall" in Cheshire, England. The name may have originated from the Old English words "til" meaning "well" or "spring," and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farm," suggesting the name referred to a farmstead or settlement near a well or spring.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Tilson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a certain William de Tyluston is listed. This indicates that the name was already established and likely derived from the place name Tilston by that time.

In the 14th century, the Tilson surname appeared in various records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire in 1327, where a Richard de Tilston is mentioned. The name also appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, with the spelling "Tylson."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Tilson surname was John Tilson, born around 1380 in Tilston, Cheshire. He was a prominent landowner and played a role in local affairs during his lifetime.

Another notable figure was Robert Tilson (1585-1655), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Rochester from 1636 until his death. He wrote several notable works, including "The Lawful Use of Riches" and "The Amended and Enriched Version of the Book of Common Prayer."

In the 17th century, the Tilson surname was also found in the colonies of North America. One of the earliest recorded instances was Thomas Tilson, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent planter and landowner.

During the 18th century, the Tilson name appeared in various records across England, including parish registers and court documents. One notable individual was John Tilson (1720-1782), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several significant architectural projects in London.

Another prominent figure was James Tilson (1745-1833), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1796 to 1806. He was known for his advocacy of parliamentary reform and played a significant role in the political landscape of the time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tilson

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

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

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

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