2000
#8,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Tinney
Derived from a place name meaning "Tina's island," likely referring to a small island or raised land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,743 Americans carry the last name Tinney. That puts it at #9,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tinney 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 Tinney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,572
Census rank
#9,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,264 bearers of the surname Tinney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tinney
The surname TINNEY finds its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tun", meaning a farmstead or village, combined with the suffix "-ey", indicating a place of origin. This suggests that the name likely originated from a specific location, possibly named Tinney or a similar spelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1275, which mentions a person named John de Tynne. This provides evidence of the name's existence and spelling variations during that period. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 include a reference to a place called "Tynneye" in Wiltshire, which may have been the source of the surname.
During the 14th century, the TINNEY surname appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1364, which mentions a William de Tynye. This document provides insight into the name's evolution and its association with specific regions within England.
In the 15th century, the surname TINNEY continued to appear in historical records. One notable example is John Tinney, a prominent figure from Gloucestershire, who lived during the latter half of the 15th century. He is mentioned in several local records and is believed to have been a landowner and influential member of the community.
The 16th century saw the name TINNEY gain further recognition, with several individuals bearing the surname achieving notable positions. One such person was William Tinney, born around 1520 in Wiltshire, who served as a member of the local gentry and held significant landholdings in the region.
Moving into the 17th century, the TINNEY surname continued to be represented in various parts of England. Edward Tinney, born in 1603 in Oxfordshire, was a renowned scholar and author, contributing to the fields of literature and philosophy during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the TINNEY surname was Thomas Tinney, born in 1712 in Gloucestershire. He was a successful merchant and businessman, known for his involvement in the textile trade and his philanthropic endeavors within the local community.
As the 19th century dawned, the TINNEY surname maintained its presence across England. One prominent individual was John Tinney, born in 1825 in Wiltshire, who served as a respected magistrate and played a significant role in local governance and administration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tinney
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tinney 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 Tinney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 2,809
- Black or African American4.7% · 154
- Two or more races3.9% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tinney
Tinney 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
#8,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,884
+308 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#9,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,264
-620 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 1,039 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,484 | 3,576 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,488 | 3,884 | 1.32 | +308 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #9,527 | 3,264 | 1.09 | -620 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 1,039 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 Tinney 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 | #8,488 | #9,527 | -12.2% |
| Count | 3,884 | 3,264 | -16.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.09 | -17.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tinney bearers went from 3,884 to 3,264 (-16.0% change). The surname moved down 1,039 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,488 to #9,527.
FAQ
Tinney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tinney?
Name Census estimates that about 3,743 living Americans carry the surname Tinney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,572 residents.
How common is Tinney?
Tinney ranks #9,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,264 people with the surname Tinney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,743), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Tinney.
Has Tinney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tinney went from 3,884 recorded bearers to 3,264. That is a decrease of 620 (-16.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,488 to #9,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Tinney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinney, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) 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 Tinney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (2,809 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tinney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (4.7%), 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 Tinney (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 Tinney mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Tina's island," likely referring to a small island or raised land. 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 Tinney (1.09 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 Tinney?
You can see how many people have the surname Tinney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.