2000
#22,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,048
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Tinkle
A surname derived from a metalworker's tinkling hammer or tools.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,054 Americans carry the last name Tinkle. That puts it at #27,762 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 325,194 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tinkle 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
1.1K
1 in 325,194
Census rank
#27,762
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
919
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 919 bearers of the surname Tinkle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27762nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tinkle
The surname Tinkle originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "tincle," which means "to tinkle" or "to make a ringing sound." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who worked as a bell-ringer or had a high-pitched voice.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tinkle surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where a person named Robert Tinkle is mentioned. Another early record is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire in 1221, which refers to a Walter Tinkle.
During the 13th century, the Tinkle surname was concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in the southwest of England. Some variations in spelling included Tynkle, Tynkill, and Tynkyll.
In the 14th century, the Tinkle surname began to spread to other parts of England. A notable individual from this time was John Tinkle, who was born in Taunton, Somerset, around 1320. He was a merchant and served as a bailiff (a local official) in Taunton.
The Domesday Book, a survey of landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Tinkle surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as Tinkleton in Gloucestershire and Tinker's Green in Somerset.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the Tinkle surname was William Tinkle (c. 1520-1584), a wealthy landowner from Wiltshire. He was involved in local politics and served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in 1558.
Another notable individual was Thomas Tinkle (1575-1631), a clergyman and author from Gloucestershire. He wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper" and "Meditations on the Passion of Christ."
During the 17th century, the Tinkle surname continued to be found primarily in the southwest of England. One individual of note was Elizabeth Tinkle (1622-1687), who was accused of witchcraft in Somerset in 1664 but was eventually acquitted.
In the 18th century, the Tinkle surname began to spread more widely across England and into other parts of the British Isles. A notable figure from this period was John Tinkle (1738-1821), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He donated substantial sums of money to various charitable causes in the city.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tinkle
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tinkle 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 Tinkle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 846
- Two or more races3.4% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tinkle
Tinkle 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
#22,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,174
+126 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 752 places
2020
#27,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 919
-255 bearers (-21.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 5,693 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,821 | 1,048 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,069 | 1,174 | 0.40 | +126 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 752 places |
| 2020 | #27,762 | 919 | 0.31 | -255 bearers (-21.7%) | Down 5,693 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 Tinkle 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 | #22,069 | #27,762 | -25.8% |
| Count | 1,174 | 919 | -21.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.31 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tinkle bearers went from 1,174 to 919 (-21.7% change). The surname moved down 5,693 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,069 to #27,762.
FAQ
Tinkle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tinkle?
Name Census estimates that about 1,054 living Americans carry the surname Tinkle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 325,194 residents.
How common is Tinkle?
Tinkle ranks #27,762 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 919 people with the surname Tinkle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,054), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Tinkle.
Has Tinkle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tinkle went from 1,174 recorded bearers to 919. That is a decrease of 255 (-21.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,069 to #27,762.
What does the Census say about the background of Tinkle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Tinkle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (846 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tinkle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Tinkle (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 Tinkle mean?
A surname derived from a metalworker's tinkling hammer or tools. 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 Tinkle (0.31 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 Tinkle?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Tinkle at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.