2010
#104,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Tutu
A nickname or surname derived from the word for a ballet skirt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 325 Americans carry the last name Tutu. That puts it at #73,776 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,054,629 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tutu 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tutu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
325
1 in 1,054,629
Census rank
#73,776
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
283
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 283 bearers of the surname Tutu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73776th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tutu
The surname TUTU has its origins in the French language, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "tuteur," which means "tutor" or "guardian." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name given to those who worked as tutors or guardians.
In the early 1600s, the name TUTU appeared in various records across France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. One notable reference can be found in the records of the city of Rouen, where a family by the name of TUTU resided in the late 16th century.
The earliest known individual with the surname TUTU was Jean TUTU, a French poet and playwright born in 1545 in the town of Caen, Normandy. His works, which included satirical plays and poetry, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure with the surname TUTU was François TUTU, a French soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He gained recognition for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield, ultimately rising to the rank of colonel in the French army.
In the 18th century, the TUTU name gained some prominence in the field of education. Marie-Jeanne TUTU, born in 1720 in Paris, was a renowned teacher and author of several textbooks on language and literature. Her works were widely used in schools across France during that era.
The TUTU name also made its way to other parts of Europe, with records showing families bearing the surname in countries like Belgium and Switzerland. One notable individual was Henri TUTU, a Swiss banker and philanthropist born in Geneva in 1812. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and support of various charitable organizations.
In the 19th century, a family by the name of TUTU settled in the United Kingdom, where they established themselves as successful merchants. William TUTU (1838-1912), a prominent member of this family, was a successful businessman and philanthropist in London.
While the TUTU surname is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and various regions, with notable individuals who have left their mark in fields such as literature, education, military, and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tutu
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tutu 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 Tutu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.2% · 244
- White6.4% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 10
- Two or more races3.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tutu
Tutu 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
#73,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 283
+112 bearers (+65.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 30,826 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #104,602 | 171 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #73,776 | 283 | 0.09 | +112 bearers (+65.5%) | Up 30,826 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 Tutu 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 | #104,602 | #73,776 | 29.5% |
| Count | 171 | 283 | 65.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 57.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tutu bearers went from 171 to 283 (+65.5% change). The surname moved up 30,826 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,602 to #73,776.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tutu
FAQ
Tutu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tutu?
Name Census estimates that about 325 living Americans carry the surname Tutu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,054,629 residents.
How common is Tutu?
Tutu ranks #73,776 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 283 people with the surname Tutu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (325), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Tutu.
Has Tutu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tutu went from 171 recorded bearers to 283. That is an increase of 112 (+65.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #104,602 to #73,776.
What does the Census say about the background of Tutu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tutu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tutu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.2%), White (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Tutu (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 Tutu mean?
A nickname or surname derived from the word for a ballet skirt. 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 Tutu (0.09 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 share the surname Tutu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.