2000
#35,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 599
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Rare Last name
Tumlinson
An English occupational surname derived from "tumbellere", meaning a tumbler or maker of tumblers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,041 Americans carry the last name Tumlinson. That puts it at #28,009 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 329,255 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tumlinson 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
1.0K
1 in 329,255
Census rank
#28,009
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
908
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 908 bearers of the surname Tumlinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28009th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tumlinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tumlinson
The surname Tumlinson is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Germanic personal name "Tuma," which means "thumb" or "stout," combined with the suffix "-linson," indicating "son of."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tumlinson can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Nuremberg, where it was spelled "Tummlinßon." This spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time. Another early mention of the name appears in a 16th-century church registry from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where it was written as "Tumlinsen."
The surname Tumlinson may also be connected to certain place names, such as Tummlingen, a small town in the district of Tuttlingen, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It's possible that the name originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from this particular town or a similar-sounding location.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Tumlinson. One of the earliest known bearers was Johannes Tumlinson (1492-1562), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Tumlinson (1641-1718), a Bavarian architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in the region.
In the 19th century, Hans Tumlinson (1813-1879) was a German philosopher and educator known for his writings on ethics and educational reform. Later, in the early 20th century, Karl Tumlinson (1892-1968) gained recognition as a German physicist and inventor, contributing to the development of radar technology during World War II.
More recently, Eileen Tumlinson (1931-2007) was an American author and historian who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the southwestern United States, particularly Texas and New Mexico.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Tumlinson has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, spanning different countries and centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval German regions, where it likely emerged as a patronymic or locational surname, reflecting the naming conventions and linguistic influences of that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tumlinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Tumlinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tumlinson 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 Tumlinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 762
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 86
- Two or more races4.4% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tumlinson
Tumlinson 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
#33,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 669
+70 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 1,532 places
2020
#28,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 908
+239 bearers (+35.7%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 5,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,522 | 599 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,990 | 669 | 0.23 | +70 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 1,532 places |
| 2020 | #28,009 | 908 | 0.30 | +239 bearers (+35.7%) | Up 5,981 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 Tumlinson 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 | #33,990 | #28,009 | 17.6% |
| Count | 669 | 908 | 35.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.30 | 32.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tumlinson bearers went from 669 to 908 (+35.7% change). The surname moved up 5,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,990 to #28,009.
FAQ
Tumlinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tumlinson?
Name Census estimates that about 1,041 living Americans carry the surname Tumlinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 329,255 residents.
How common is Tumlinson?
Tumlinson ranks #28,009 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 908 people with the surname Tumlinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Tumlinson.
Has Tumlinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tumlinson went from 669 recorded bearers to 908. That is an increase of 239 (+35.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,990 to #28,009.
What does the Census say about the background of Tumlinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tumlinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Tumlinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (762 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tumlinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Hispanic (9.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Tumlinson (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 Tumlinson mean?
An English occupational surname derived from "tumbellere", meaning a tumbler or maker of tumblers. 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 Tumlinson (0.30 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 Tumlinson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Tumlinson at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.