2000
#2,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,834
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.50
Uncommon Last name
Tinsley
From the Old English words "tun" (estate) and "leah" (clearing), referring to someone who lived near a clearing on an estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,562 Americans carry the last name Tinsley. That puts it at #2,441 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tinsley 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 Tinsley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,695
Census rank
#2,441
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,443 bearers of the surname Tinsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2441st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tinsley
The surname Tinsley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning town or settlement, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name originated from a place name, likely referring to a particular town or village with a clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1176, where it is spelled as "Tinesleia". This spelling variation is indicative of the name's evolution over time, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations.
The Tinsley surname is also mentioned in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence during the Norman period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the Tinsley name was John de Tyndesleye, who was recorded as a landowner in Cheshire in 1260. This variation in spelling further illustrates the fluidity of surnames during that era.
Another early mention of the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1310, which refers to a Robert de Tyndelegh. The name's association with specific locations, such as Tyndesleye and Tyndelegh, further reinforces its origins as a placename-derived surname.
Over the centuries, the Tinsley surname has been associated with various notable individuals. For example, in the 16th century, William Tinsley (c. 1540-1614) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Carshalton in Surrey.
Another notable figure was Thomas Tinsley (1685-1743), an English architect and surveyor who was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London during the 18th century.
In the realm of literature, William Tinsley (1831-1902) was a notable English publisher and bookseller who established the publishing firm Tinsley Brothers in London, which published works by several renowned authors of the time.
Moving into the 19th century, Catherine Tinsley (1846-1924) was a prominent English mathematician and pioneering woman in the field of higher education. She was one of the first women to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Finally, in the 20th century, Joseph Tinsley (1913-1993) was an English actor and playwright who had a successful career on stage and in television, appearing in various productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC.
These examples illustrate the enduring presence of the Tinsley surname throughout history, spanning various professions and regions within England, while retaining its roots as a place-derived name from the early medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tinsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tinsley 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 Tinsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.6% · 8,758
- Black or African American29.9% · 4,323
- Two or more races4.7% · 683
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 515
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 80
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tinsley
Tinsley 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
#2,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,442
+608 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 5.23
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#2,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,443
-999 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 4.83
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,255 | 14,834 | 5.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,361 | 15,442 | 5.23 | +608 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #2,441 | 14,443 | 4.83 | -999 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 80 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 Tinsley 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 | #2,361 | #2,441 | -3.4% |
| Count | 15,442 | 14,443 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.23 | 4.83 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tinsley bearers went from 15,442 to 14,443 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,361 to #2,441.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tinsley
FAQ
Tinsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tinsley?
Name Census estimates that about 16,562 living Americans carry the surname Tinsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,695 residents.
How common is Tinsley?
Tinsley ranks #2,441 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,443 people with the surname Tinsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,562), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Tinsley.
Has Tinsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tinsley went from 15,442 recorded bearers to 14,443. That is a decrease of 999 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,361 to #2,441.
What does the Census say about the background of Tinsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tinsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Tinsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.6% (8,758 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tinsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.6%), Black (29.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Tinsley (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 Tinsley mean?
From the Old English words "tun" (estate) and "leah" (clearing), referring to someone who lived near a clearing on an estate. 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 Tinsley (4.83 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 Tinsley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.