2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tinjum
A surname derived from a Nordic place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Tinjum. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tinjum 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Tinjum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinjum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tinjum
The surname Tinjum originated in Norway, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "tindr" and "hólmr," meaning "peak" and "islet" or "small island," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals residing near a prominent peak or on a small island.
One of the earliest known references to the Tinjum name can be found in the records of the Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening (Norwegian Genealogical Society), which document a Torger Tinjum born around 1550 in the region of Hordaland, Norway. This area, known for its rugged fjords and mountainous terrain, aligns with the possible origins of the name.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the church records of the Voss region, with a notable figure being Olav Tinjum, born in 1632. He was a farmer and landowner in the area, which further reinforces the name's ties to rural and coastal communities.
As the centuries progressed, the Tinjum name spread across Norway and beyond. In the late 18th century, a Hans Tinjum (1768-1842) emigrated from Norway to Denmark, where he established a successful trading business. His descendants continued to carry the name forward in their new homeland.
Another notable individual bearing the Tinjum surname was Inger Tinjum (1892-1968), a Norwegian painter and illustrator renowned for her depictions of traditional Norwegian life and landscapes. Her works are housed in several prestigious museums, including the National Gallery of Norway.
While the name Tinjum is predominantly Norwegian, it has also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. For example, in the early 20th century, a Nils Tinjum (1887-1962) emigrated from Norway to the United States, settling in Minnesota. He worked as a farmer and played a role in the local Norwegian-American community.
Overall, the surname Tinjum has a rich and enduring history, rooted in the rugged landscapes and coastal communities of Norway. Its origins can be traced back centuries, with various individuals bearing the name leaving their mark across different professions and regions, further establishing the name's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tinjum
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinjum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tinjum 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 Tinjum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tinjum
Tinjum 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+15 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,179 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 6,179 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Tinjum 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 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tinjum bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Tinjum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tinjum?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Tinjum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Tinjum?
Tinjum ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Tinjum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Tinjum.
Has Tinjum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tinjum went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Tinjum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinjum, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Tinjum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tinjum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Tinjum (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 Tinjum mean?
A surname derived from a Nordic place 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 Tinjum (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 common is the surname Tinjum?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Tinjum at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.