2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tuls
A surname possibly derived from a place name or related to the tulip flower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Tuls. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tuls 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Tuls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuls, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tuls
The surname TULS originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tull," which means a point or projecting piece of land. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated land feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tulle." This ancient record provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during the Norman Conquest of England.
As time passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Tull, Tulle, and Tulls. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized spelling conventions during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, records show the name Tuls being associated with the village of Tullingham, located in Norfolk, England. This suggests a possible connection between the surname and this specific place name, further reinforcing its topographic origins.
One notable bearer of the TULS surname was Sir William Tuls, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his military exploits during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Tuls, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his contributions to the study of medieval philosophy and his influential writings on religious topics.
During the 16th century, the TULS surname gained prominence with the rise of the Tuls family in Gloucestershire, England. This influential family produced several notable figures, including Sir Thomas Tuls, a successful merchant and philanthropist who lived from 1542 to 1612.
In the 17th century, the name was associated with William Tuls, a prominent English playwright and poet who was born in 1592. His works were widely celebrated during the Renaissance period and remain influential in the study of Elizabethan literature.
Another individual of note was Sir Robert Tuls, a distinguished military leader who served in the English Civil War during the mid-17th century. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic acumen on the battlefield.
While the TULS surname may have originated in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and colonization. However, the focus of this report remains on the historical origins and early bearers of this surname within the context of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tuls
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuls, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tuls 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 Tuls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tuls
Tuls appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+17 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 15,185 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 Tuls 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 | #157,234 | #142,049 | 9.7% |
| Count | 103 | 120 | 16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tuls bearers went from 103 to 120 (+16.5% change). The surname moved up 15,185 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #142,049.
FAQ
Tuls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tuls?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Tuls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Tuls?
Tuls ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Tuls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tuls.
Has Tuls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tuls went from 103 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 17 (+16.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Tuls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tuls, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Tuls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tuls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Tuls (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 Tuls mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name or related to the tulip flower. 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 Tuls (0.04 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 Tuls?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.