2000
#7,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,023
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Tippett
Derived from a Middle English occupational name for a maker or seller of tipets, a type of scarf or cape.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,405 Americans carry the last name Tippett. That puts it at #8,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tippett 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 Tippett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,810
Census rank
#8,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,841 bearers of the surname Tippett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tippett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tippett
The surname Tippett has its origins in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "toppa" or "topp," which means a hilltop or a summit. This name was likely given to someone who lived on or near a hilltop or a prominent ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tippett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1196, where a person named Reginald Toppet is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1272, which records a Thomas Toppet.
The name Tippett also appears in various historical records and manuscripts, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Toppet is recorded. In the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1428, a Thomas Tippett is mentioned.
One notable person with the surname Tippett was Sir John Tiptoft, also known as the "Butcher of England," who lived from 1427 to 1470. He was an English nobleman and served as Lord High Constable of England during the Wars of the Roses.
Another historical figure with the surname Tippett was Thomas Tippett, a 16th-century English clergyman and writer born in 1535. He was a fellow of New College, Oxford, and published several works on theology and education.
In the 17th century, John Tippett (1639-1718) was an English Puritan minister and author who served as the chaplain to Sir William Waller during the English Civil War.
Later, in the 19th century, Sir Michael Tippett (1905-1998) was a renowned English composer known for his operas and orchestral works. He was born in London and is considered one of the most influential British composers of the 20th century.
The surname Tippett has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Tippett's Heath in Oxfordshire and Tippett's Farm in Gloucestershire, reflecting the historical presence of families with this surname in those regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tippett
Among Census respondents with the surname Tippett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tippett 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 Tippett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 3,294
- Black or African American6.6% · 252
- Two or more races4.3% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tippett
Tippett 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
#7,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,344
+321 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#8,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,841
-503 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 619 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,620 | 4,023 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,644 | 4,344 | 1.47 | +321 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #8,263 | 3,841 | 1.29 | -503 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 619 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 Tippett 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 | #7,644 | #8,263 | -8.1% |
| Count | 4,344 | 3,841 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.29 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tippett bearers went from 4,344 to 3,841 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 619 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,644 to #8,263.
FAQ
Tippett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tippett?
Name Census estimates that about 4,405 living Americans carry the surname Tippett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,810 residents.
How common is Tippett?
Tippett ranks #8,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,841 people with the surname Tippett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,405), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Tippett.
Has Tippett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tippett went from 4,344 recorded bearers to 3,841. That is a decrease of 503 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,644 to #8,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Tippett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tippett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tippett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (3,294 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tippett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Tippett (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 Tippett mean?
Derived from a Middle English occupational name for a maker or seller of tipets, a type of scarf or cape. 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 Tippett (1.29 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 have the surname Tippett?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.