2000
#55,849
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 343
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Titmus
Derived from a diminutive form of the given name Matthew or the surname Titmuss.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 344 Americans carry the last name Titmus. That puts it at #70,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 996,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Titmus 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 Titmus with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
344
1 in 996,379
Census rank
#70,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
300
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 300 bearers of the surname Titmus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Titmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Titmus
The surname Titmus is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "tit" and "mus," which translate to "small bird" and "mouse," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone who was small or quick, like a bird or a mouse.
The earliest known record of the Titmus surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name appears as "Titmouse," which provides further evidence of its etymological origins.
During the 13th century, the name began to appear in various records with slightly different spellings, such as "Tytmous" and "Tytmuse." These variations likely reflect the local dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Titmus surname was John Tytmouse, who was born in the village of Bromley, Kent, around 1320. He was a farmer and landowner, and his name appears in several local records from that period.
In the 16th century, the Titmus surname spread beyond its initial geographic origins in Kent and became more widely dispersed throughout England. Notable individuals from this era include William Titmouse (c. 1520 - 1587), a merchant and alderman in the city of London, and Robert Titmus (c. 1560 - 1635), a clergyman and author from Oxfordshire.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Titmus surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with several individuals achieving notable accomplishments. For example, Edward Titmus (1638 - 1707) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir John Titmus (1712 - 1795), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in several battles during the American Revolutionary War. He rose through the ranks to become an Admiral of the Red and was knighted for his distinguished service.
In the 19th century, the Titmus name gained further prominence with individuals such as Charles Titmus (1808 - 1882), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire, and Mary Titmus (1842 - 1921), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the Titmus surname has been associated with various place names and locations across England, including Titmus Hill in Kent, Titmus Farm in Oxfordshire, and the village of Titmus Green in Buckinghamshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Titmus
Among Census respondents with the surname Titmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Titmus 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 Titmus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 278
- Two or more races3.0% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Titmus
Titmus 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
#66,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
-48 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 11,082 places
2020
#70,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+5 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 3,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,849 | 343 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,931 | 295 | 0.10 | -48 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 11,082 places |
| 2020 | #70,358 | 300 | 0.10 | +5 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 3,427 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 Titmus 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 | #66,931 | #70,358 | -5.1% |
| Count | 295 | 300 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Titmus bearers went from 295 to 300 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,931 to #70,358.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Titmus
FAQ
Titmus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Titmus?
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the surname Titmus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 996,379 residents.
How common is Titmus?
Titmus ranks #70,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 300 people with the surname Titmus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Titmus.
Has Titmus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Titmus went from 295 recorded bearers to 300. That is an increase of 5 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #66,931 to #70,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Titmus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Titmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Titmus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (278 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Titmus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Titmus (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 Titmus mean?
Derived from a diminutive form of the given name Matthew or the surname Titmuss. 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 Titmus (0.10 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 Titmus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.