2000
#10,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,908
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Tullos
A Scottish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Tullos, possibly derived from Gaelic "tulach" meaning "hillock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,236 Americans carry the last name Tullos. That puts it at #10,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tullos 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.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 105,919
Census rank
#10,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,822 bearers of the surname Tullos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tullos, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tullos
The surname Tullos is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "tol" meaning tax or payment, and "hus" meaning house, likely referring to a toll house or a place where travelers had to pay a fee to cross through certain areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tullos can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of medieval records that documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. This suggests that the name was present in Scotland as early as the late 13th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Tullos surname appeared in various Scottish records and documents, often associated with areas such as Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. Some variations in spelling included Tullos, Tulloch, and Tullows.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Tullos surname was Alexander Tullos, a Scottish scholar and clergyman who served as the Principal of King's College in Aberdeen from 1585 to 1587.
Another prominent individual with the Tullos surname was John Tullos, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the 17th century. Records indicate that he owned significant properties in Aberdeenshire and was involved in trade and commerce in the region.
The Tullos surname has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Tullos Hill in Aberdeen and Tulloch, a village in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing its Scottish origins.
In the 18th century, James Tullos, a Scottish poet and writer, gained recognition for his works, which included poems and essays on various subjects. He was born in 1720 and lived in Aberdeen, where he contributed to the literary scene of the time.
Another notable figure was Robert Tullos, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who lived in the 19th century. He made significant contributions to the city of Aberdeen and was involved in various charitable endeavors.
The Tullos surname has a rich history rooted in the Scottish landscape, particularly in the northeastern regions of the country. While its exact origins may be obscured by time, the name has persisted through centuries and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tullos
Among Census respondents with the surname Tullos, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tullos 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 Tullos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 2,398
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 169
- Black or African American4.2% · 119
- Two or more races3.8% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tullos
Tullos 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
#10,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,940
+32 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 654 places
2020
#10,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,822
-118 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,180 | 2,908 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,834 | 2,940 | 1.00 | +32 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 654 places |
| 2020 | #10,801 | 2,822 | 0.94 | -118 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 33 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 Tullos 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 | #10,834 | #10,801 | 0.3% |
| Count | 2,940 | 2,822 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.94 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tullos bearers went from 2,940 to 2,822 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,834 to #10,801.
FAQ
Tullos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tullos?
Name Census estimates that about 3,236 living Americans carry the surname Tullos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,919 residents.
How common is Tullos?
Tullos ranks #10,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,822 people with the surname Tullos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Tullos.
Has Tullos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tullos went from 2,940 recorded bearers to 2,822. That is a decrease of 118 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,834 to #10,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Tullos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tullos, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (4.2%). 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 Tullos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (2,398 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tullos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (4.2%). 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 Tullos (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 Tullos mean?
A Scottish habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Tullos, possibly derived from Gaelic "tulach" meaning "hillock." 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 Tullos (0.94 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 Tullos?
If you just want to know how many people are called Tullos, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.