2000
#9,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Tilson
Derived from a place name meaning "Tilfa's son," referring to a settlement associated with someone called Tilfa.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,323 Americans carry the last name Tilson. That puts it at #10,559 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tilson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tilson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,146
Census rank
#10,559
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,898 bearers of the surname Tilson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10559th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tilson
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tilson 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 Tilson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 2,450
- Black or African American7.6% · 221
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 107
- Two or more races3.3% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tilson
Tilson 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
#10,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,186
+138 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 319 places
2020
#10,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,898
-288 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,795 | 3,048 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,114 | 3,186 | 1.08 | +138 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 319 places |
| 2020 | #10,559 | 2,898 | 0.97 | -288 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 445 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 Tilson 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 | #10,114 | #10,559 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,186 | 2,898 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.97 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tilson bearers went from 3,186 to 2,898 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 445 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,114 to #10,559.
FAQ
Tilson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tilson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,323 living Americans carry the surname Tilson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,146 residents.
How common is Tilson?
Tilson ranks #10,559 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,898 people with the surname Tilson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Tilson.
Has Tilson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tilson went from 3,186 recorded bearers to 2,898. That is a decrease of 288 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,114 to #10,559.
What does the Census say about the background of Tilson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Tilson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (2,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tilson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Black (7.6%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Tilson (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 Tilson mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Tilfa's son," referring to a settlement associated with someone called Tilfa. 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 Tilson (0.97 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 many people are called Tilson?
Find out how many people have the surname Tilson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.