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

Tully, 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 Tully surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tully in America

Tully is the 3911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tully surname appeared 9,081 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Tully.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tully 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 Tully

The surname Tully is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "tuellit" or "tuillit," meaning a tile or brick maker. It is believed to have originated in the 11th century when many Norman families settled in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The name Tully is thought to have first appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This early record suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who worked as tile or brick makers, a valuable trade during the construction of Norman castles and churches.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tully surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a certain William Tuillit is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time, reflecting the changes in pronunciation and written forms.

The Tully name has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Tullylease in Gloucestershire and Tullytown in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Tully surname who settled or owned land in those areas.

Prominent figures with the Tully surname include Sir Thomas Tully (c. 1620-1676), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Recorder of Gloucester and represented the city in Parliament during the 17th century. Another notable bearer of the name was John Tully (1638-1701), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively on the history of Ireland.

Other historical figures with the Tully surname include Richard Tully (1535-1608), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Elizabethan era for his religious beliefs, and John Tully (1813-1864), an American politician who served as the 12th Governor of Kansas from 1861 to 1863.

In more recent times, the Tully surname has been associated with various prominent individuals, such as Jim Tully (1886-1947), an American writer and journalist known for his novels and memoirs depicting life in the American Midwest, and Tom Tully (1908-1982), an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tully

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

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 Tully 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 Tully 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 Tully was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!