2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tinnen
A German surname derived from the word "tanne" meaning fir tree or pine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Tinnen. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tinnen 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Tinnen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinnen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tinnen
The surname Tinnen is believed to have originated in England, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "tinnan," which means "to enclose or fence in." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked with fences or enclosures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tinnen can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Tynnen is listed. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Court Rolls of Bury St. Edmunds in 1379, which mention a William Tynnen.
The surname Tinnen may have been influenced by or related to certain place names in England, such as Tinwell in Rutland or Tintern in Monmouthshire. These place names possibly share a common etymological root with the surname, further indicating its connection to enclosures or fenced areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Tinnen throughout history include:
1. Richard Tinnen (c. 1520-1590), an English merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.
2. Alice Tinnen (c. 1560-1630), a prominent figure in the cloth trade in Wiltshire during the Elizabethan era.
3. John Tinnen (c. 1640-1712), a yeoman farmer and landowner in Oxfordshire, known for his extensive property holdings.
4. Elizabeth Tinnen (1675-1745), a philanthropist and benefactor from Lincolnshire, who donated funds for the construction of a local school and church.
5. William Tinnen (1788-1864), a renowned architect from Yorkshire, responsible for designing several notable buildings in the region.
While the surname Tinnen may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it likely referred to those associated with fences, enclosures, or specific geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tinnen
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinnen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tinnen 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 Tinnen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.3% · 42
- White39.2% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 9
- Two or more races8.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tinnen
Tinnen 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,104 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-5 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,983 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 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 9,104 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.9%) | Up 1,983 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 Tinnen 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 | #158,432 | #156,449 | 1.3% |
| Count | 102 | 97 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tinnen bearers went from 102 to 97 (-4.9% change). The surname moved up 1,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,449.
FAQ
Tinnen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tinnen?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Tinnen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Tinnen?
Tinnen ranks #156,449 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 97 people with the surname Tinnen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), 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 Tinnen.
Has Tinnen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tinnen went from 102 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Tinnen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinnen, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are White (39.2%) and Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Tinnen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.3% (42 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tinnen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.3%), White (39.2%), Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Tinnen (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 Tinnen mean?
A German surname derived from the word "tanne" meaning fir tree or pine. 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 Tinnen (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 people share the surname Tinnen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.