2000
#6,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,522
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Tingle
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname for a sensitive or anxious person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,924 Americans carry the last name Tingle. That puts it at #7,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,609 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tingle 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 Tingle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,609
Census rank
#7,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,294 bearers of the surname Tingle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tingle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tingle
The surname Tingle has its origins in England and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "tyngan," which means "to burn" or "to sting." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a fiery personality or a propensity for causing irritation or discomfort.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tingle can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1230, where a William Tyngel is mentioned. This document is a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the Exchequer, providing valuable insight into the names and occupations of individuals during that time.
The Tingle surname is also present in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a collection of records from the Hundred Courts of England. This document contains references to individuals named Tyngel, suggesting that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with slight variations in spelling, such as Tyngyll and Tyngel. This was a common occurrence in medieval times, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
One notable individual bearing the Tingle surname was John Tingle, a merchant from London who lived in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in trade with the Netherlands and played a role in the export of English wool.
During the 16th century, the name Tingle can be found in various parish records and documents from different parts of England, including Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Gloucestershire. This suggests that the surname had spread across various regions by this time.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the Tingle surname was Robert Tingle, a clergyman and author who was born in 1627 in Gloucestershire. He wrote several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
Another notable bearer of the Tingle name was William Tingle, a military officer who served in the English Civil War during the mid-17th century. He fought on the Parliamentarian side and was involved in several battles against the Royalist forces.
In the 19th century, a distinguished individual with the Tingle surname was Sir Henry Tingle, a British architect who was born in 1819 in Liverpool. He designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London, which is considered one of his greatest works.
The Tingle surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Tingle Bridge and Tingle Hill, both located in Lancashire. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Tingle surname who resided in or had a connection to those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tingle
Among Census respondents with the surname Tingle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tingle 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 Tingle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 3,348
- Black or African American13.9% · 597
- Two or more races4.4% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tingle
Tingle 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
#7,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,712
+190 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 249 places
2020
#7,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,294
-418 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 377 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,854 | 4,522 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,103 | 4,712 | 1.60 | +190 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 249 places |
| 2020 | #7,480 | 4,294 | 1.44 | -418 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 377 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 Tingle 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 | #7,103 | #7,480 | -5.3% |
| Count | 4,712 | 4,294 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.44 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tingle bearers went from 4,712 to 4,294 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 377 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,103 to #7,480.
FAQ
Tingle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tingle?
Name Census estimates that about 4,924 living Americans carry the surname Tingle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,609 residents.
How common is Tingle?
Tingle ranks #7,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.44 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 4,294 people with the surname Tingle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.44 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 Tingle.
Has Tingle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tingle went from 4,712 recorded bearers to 4,294. That is a decrease of 418 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,103 to #7,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Tingle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tingle, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tingle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (3,348 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tingle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Black (13.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Tingle (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 Tingle mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a nickname for a sensitive or anxious person. 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 Tingle (1.44 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 Tingle?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Tingle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.