Find out how popular the last name Tirrell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tirrell.

Tirrell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tirrell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tirrell in America

Tirrell is the 18078th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tirrell surname appeared 1,542 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tirrell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tirrell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tirrell

The surname Tirrell is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "torrel," which means "little tower" or "turret." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a small tower or fortified structure.

The name first appeared in historical records in the 11th century, during the Norman Conquest of England. It is possible that the name was brought to England by Norman soldiers or settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Tirel," which appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved to include variations such as Tirrell, Tyrell, and Tyrrell. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter Tirrell, a 12th-century English knight who gained notoriety for his alleged involvement in the death of William II, also known as William Rufus. According to chronicles, Tirrell was present during a hunting accident in the New Forest, where the king was fatally shot with an arrow in 1100.

Another historical figure with this surname was Thomas Tyrrell, an English writer and philosopher who lived from 1661 to 1726. He is best known for his works on the philosophical principles of Locke and Descartes.

In the 18th century, James Tyrrell (1642-1718) was an English historian and writer who published several works, including a controversial biography of King William III.

Continuing into the 19th century, Sir John Tyrrell (1786-1876) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

The name Tirrell has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Tyrrell's Pass in Hampshire and Tyrrell's Ford in Buckinghamshire, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tirrell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tirrell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tirrell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tirrell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tirrell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tirrell, please contact us.

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