2000
#7,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Timberlake
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a small lake in a wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,821 Americans carry the last name Timberlake. That puts it at #7,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,096 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Timberlake 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 Timberlake with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,096
Census rank
#7,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,204 bearers of the surname Timberlake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Timberlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Timberlake
The surname Timberlake has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place name, indicating that the original bearer of the name hailed from a location with a particular topographical feature. The prefix "Timber" suggests a connection to wooded areas or forests, while "lake" refers to a body of water, such as a lake or pond.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a Robert de Timberlake is mentioned in 1199. This record suggests that the name may have originated from a place called Timberlake in Staffordshire, though the exact location is uncertain.
Another early reference to the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1273, which lists a John de Timbrelak. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time and across different regions.
In the 14th century, the name Timberlake was associated with a family from Wiltshire. Records from this period mention a John Timberlake, who held land in the village of Aldbourne in 1349.
One notable bearer of the Timberlake surname was Richard Timberlake (c. 1616-1675), an English navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the New World. He is remembered for his expeditions along the coast of present-day Virginia and North Carolina.
Another individual of historical significance was Henry Timberlake (c. 1730-1765), an English officer and diplomat who served as an envoy to the Cherokee Nation in the mid-18th century. His account of his experiences among the Cherokee, published in 1765, provided valuable insights into their culture and way of life.
In the 19th century, John Timberlake (1802-1890) was a prominent English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the Gothic Revival style. He was also involved in the restoration of several historic structures, including St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.
A more recent example is the American singer and actor Justin Timberlake (born 1981), who rose to fame as a member of the popular boy band NSYNC before embarking on a successful solo career.
It is worth noting that the Timberlake surname may have been derived from different place names in various parts of England, as locational surnames were often adopted independently in different regions. However, the common thread among these names appears to be their connection to wooded areas or bodies of water.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Timberlake
Among Census respondents with the surname Timberlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Timberlake 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 Timberlake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.1% · 2,862
- Black or African American22.1% · 927
- Two or more races5.6% · 234
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Timberlake
Timberlake 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
#7,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,380
+114 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 373 places
2020
#7,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,204
-176 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,216 | 4,266 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,589 | 4,380 | 1.48 | +114 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 373 places |
| 2020 | #7,606 | 4,204 | 1.41 | -176 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 17 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 Timberlake 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 | #7,589 | #7,606 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,380 | 4,204 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.41 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Timberlake bearers went from 4,380 to 4,204 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,589 to #7,606.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Timberlake
FAQ
Timberlake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Timberlake?
Name Census estimates that about 4,821 living Americans carry the surname Timberlake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,096 residents.
How common is Timberlake?
Timberlake ranks #7,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,204 people with the surname Timberlake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,821), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Timberlake.
Has Timberlake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Timberlake went from 4,380 recorded bearers to 4,204. That is a decrease of 176 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,589 to #7,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Timberlake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Timberlake, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Timberlake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.1% (2,862 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Timberlake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.1%), Black (22.1%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Timberlake (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 Timberlake mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a small lake in a wooded area. 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 Timberlake (1.41 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 share the surname Timberlake?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.