2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tink
A Dutch surname derived from the archaic word "tinke," meaning a small crust or slice of bread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Tink. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tink 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 Tink with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Tink in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tink, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tink
The surname Tink has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tinca," which referred to a small freshwater fish known as the tench. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who caught or traded in these fish.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it appears as "William le Tink." This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and its potential occupational connection during the medieval period.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records with slight spelling variations, such as "Tynk" and "Tynke." These variations were common during this time due to inconsistencies in spelling and recordkeeping practices.
The Tink surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Tinkers Green in Warwickshire and Tinkers Bridge in Gloucestershire. These place names may have contributed to the surname's development or vice versa, as individuals often took on surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
Notable individuals with the surname Tink include:
1. John Tink (c. 1550 - 1619), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. William Tink (1725 - 1793), a British architect known for his work on various country houses and churches in the Palladian style.
3. Elizabeth Tink (1807 - 1892), a pioneer in the field of nursing and midwifery, who established one of the earliest training schools for midwives in London.
4. Sir Charles Tink (1863 - 1945), a British diplomat and ambassador to several countries, including Turkey and Italy.
5. Geoffrey Tink (1915 - 2001), a renowned English cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club and represented England in Test matches during the 1930s.
The Tink surname, while not among the most common in England, has a rich history that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Its origins as an occupational name and its connection to place names provide insights into the lives and occupations of those who bore this surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tink
Among Census respondents with the surname Tink, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tink 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 Tink surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 4
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tink
Tink 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,211 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-15 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 13,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,211 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 13,042 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 Tink 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 | #141,140 | #154,182 | -9.2% |
| Count | 118 | 103 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tink bearers went from 118 to 103 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 13,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #154,182.
FAQ
Tink surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tink?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Tink. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Tink?
Tink ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Tink. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tink.
Has Tink become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tink went from 118 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Tink?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tink, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Tink in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tink appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Tink (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 Tink mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the archaic word "tinke," meaning a small crust or slice of bread. 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 Tink (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Tink?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.