2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Timley
A surname originating from a place named Timley or a variation of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Timley. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Timley 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Timley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Timley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Timley
The surname Timley has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "timlic," which means "temporal" or "temporary." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked in a temporary or transient manner.
The earliest known record of the name Timley appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from the year 1273, where it is listed as "Tymelye." This document was a survey of landholders in England, and it provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames during that time.
In the 14th century, records show variations of the name spelling, including "Tymely" and "Tymly." These variations were likely due to the lack of standardized spelling and the influence of regional dialects.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Timley surname was John Tymly, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the Exchequer, and they provide insights into the economic and social aspects of medieval England.
During the 15th century, the name Timley was also found in Essex, where records show a William Tymly being granted land in the village of Chigwell in 1467. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.
In the 16th century, the Timley surname had a notable bearer in the form of Robert Tymley, a merchant who was born in Bristol around 1520. He was involved in the international trade of wool and cloth, and his business dealings took him to various parts of Europe.
Another significant figure bearing the Timley surname was Thomas Tymley, who was born in Warwickshire in 1632. He was a prominent Puritan clergyman and author, known for his works on religious and theological subjects.
During the 17th century, the Timley name was also found in Yorkshire, where records show a family of that name residing in the village of Ripon. One member of this family, John Timley, was a local landowner and farmer who lived from 1645 to 1712.
In the 18th century, the Timley surname continued to be present in various parts of England. One notable bearer was William Timley, a clockmaker from London who was born in 1734 and became renowned for his intricate and beautifully crafted timepieces.
As the centuries progressed, the Timley surname continued to be found across different regions of England, with various individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields, from agriculture and trade to religion and craftsmanship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Timley
Among Census respondents with the surname Timley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Timley 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 Timley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.4% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Timley
Timley appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Timley 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Timley bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Timley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Timley?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Timley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Timley?
Timley ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Timley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Timley.
Has Timley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Timley went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Timley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Timley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Timley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Timley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.4%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Timley (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 Timley mean?
A surname originating from a place named Timley or a variation of that name. 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 Timley (0.04 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 have the surname Timley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.