2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Twele
A derivative surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Thurlill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Twele. 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 Twele 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 Twele 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 Twele, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Twele
The surname "TWELE" is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "twelf," which means "twelve." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was the twelfth child or who was associated with the number twelve in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Twelfe," which was likely a variant spelling of the time.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Twele residing in the village of Tweleigh, located in the county of Gloucestershire. This place name is believed to be derived from the surname itself, indicating that the family may have owned or held land in the area.
One notable figure with the surname Twele was Sir John Twele, a knight who lived during the 14th century. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of Parliament for the county of Wiltshire in 1362.
Another individual of note was William Twele, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the late 15th century. He was educated at Oxford University and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick from 1487 until his death in 1505.
In the 16th century, there was a family of Tweles who were prominent merchants in the city of Bristol. The most well-known member of this family was Thomas Twele, who was a successful trader and served as the mayor of Bristol in 1564.
During the 17th century, the name Twele was also found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was Richard Twele, a poet and playwright who was born in 1638 in the village of Tweleigh, Gloucestershire.
Throughout its history, the surname Twele has had various spellings, including Twele, Twelf, Twelfe, and Twelle. These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions during earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Twele
Among Census respondents with the surname Twele, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Twele 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 Twele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 103
- Black or African American6.7% · 8
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Twele
Twele 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-15 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,831 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+13 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,579 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 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 23,831 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 10,579 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 Twele 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 | #152,628 | #142,049 | 6.9% |
| Count | 107 | 120 | 12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Twele bearers went from 107 to 120 (+12.1% change). The surname moved up 10,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #142,049.
FAQ
Twele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Twele?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Twele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Twele?
Twele 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 Twele. 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 Twele.
Has Twele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Twele went from 107 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 13 (+12.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Twele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Twele, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Twele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Twele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Twele (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 Twele mean?
A derivative surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Thurlill. 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 Twele (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 common is the surname Twele?
Want to know how common the surname Twele is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.