2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tulman
A topographic surname likely derived from a dweller near a hill or high ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Tulman. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tulman 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Tulman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tulman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tulman
The surname Tulman has its origins in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "tol," which means "toll" or "tax collector." This suggests that the original bearers of this name were likely employed as toll collectors or tax collectors.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Tulman can be traced back to the Dutch province of North Holland. In the 16th century, the name was frequently spelled as "Tolman" or "Toulman," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time.
One notable historical reference to the name Tulman can be found in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). In the late 17th century, a man named Gerrit Tulman was listed as a merchant and ship's captain for the VOC, sailing between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia).
Another early bearer of the name was Jacobus Tulman, born in 1674 in Amsterdam. He was a renowned artist and engraver, known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes.
In the 18th century, the name Tulman appears to have spread beyond the Netherlands. One notable figure was John Tulman, an English writer and philosopher born in 1720. He authored several books on moral philosophy and ethics, including "An Essay on the Principles of Morality" (1758).
As the name Tulman spread across Europe, it also found its way to the British Isles. In the 19th century, a Scottish family named Tulman settled in the city of Glasgow. One of their descendants, William Tulman (1843-1912), became a prominent figure in the Scottish banking industry, serving as the director of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Another notable bearer of the name Tulman was Hans Tulman, a German artist and sculptor born in 1885 in Berlin. He was known for his remarkable bronze sculptures and public art installations, many of which can still be seen in various cities across Germany.
While the surname Tulman is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries. Its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, where it was likely associated with the occupation of toll or tax collection, before spreading across Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tulman
Among Census respondents with the surname Tulman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tulman 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 Tulman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 99
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tulman
Tulman 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,431 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-20 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,431 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 16,454 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 Tulman 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 | #139,228 | #155,682 | -11.8% |
| Count | 120 | 100 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tulman bearers went from 120 to 100 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 16,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #155,682.
FAQ
Tulman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tulman?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Tulman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Tulman?
Tulman ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Tulman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tulman.
Has Tulman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tulman went from 120 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Tulman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tulman, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Tulman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tulman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Tulman (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 Tulman mean?
A topographic surname likely derived from a dweller near a hill or high ground. 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 Tulman (0.03 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 are called Tulman?
Find out how many people have the last name Tulman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.