2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Twilligear
A combination of "twilight" and "gear", possibly referring to someone who worked at dusk or with machinery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Twilligear. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Twilligear 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Twilligear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilligear, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Twilligear
The surname "TWILLIGEAR" is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England during the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "twill" meaning "woven fabric" and "gear" meaning "equipment or apparel". This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were involved in the textile trade, such as weavers or clothiers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a collection of financial records from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. In these rolls, a person named Robert Twilligear is listed as a taxpayer in the village of Haworth in 1297.
In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Twylligere", appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield. These records document a legal dispute involving a certain John Twylligere in 1356.
The name seems to have been particularly prevalent in the areas around the Pennine Hills, which were known for their wool and textile industries during the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, a family by the name of Twilligear owned a sizable parcel of land near the village of Hebden Bridge, which was an important center for cloth production.
One notable figure bearing the surname was Sir Robert Twilligear (1452-1522), a wealthy wool merchant and landowner from Halifax. He served as a member of the King's Council and was knighted by King Henry VIII in 1518.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Twilligear (1596-1673), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Saddleworth. Her medical expertise and knowledge of traditional remedies were highly sought after by the local community.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Twilligear family settled in the village of Heptonstall, where they were involved in the production of woolen cloth and operated a small mill. One of their descendants, John Twilligear (1671-1745), became a respected figure in the community and served as a local magistrate.
During the Industrial Revolution, the Twilligear family continued to play a role in the textile industry, with some members owning or managing factories in the towns of Hebden Bridge and Todmorden.
Overall, the surname "TWILLIGEAR" has a rich history rooted in the textile traditions of northern England, with many bearers of the name having been involved in various aspects of the wool and cloth trades over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Twilligear
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilligear, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Twilligear 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 Twilligear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Twilligear
Twilligear 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+6 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,431 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 3,431 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,132 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 Twilligear 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 | #131,379 | #143,511 | -9.2% |
| Count | 129 | 118 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Twilligear bearers went from 129 to 118 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,132 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #143,511.
FAQ
Twilligear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Twilligear?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Twilligear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Twilligear?
Twilligear ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Twilligear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Twilligear.
Has Twilligear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Twilligear went from 129 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Twilligear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilligear, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Twilligear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Twilligear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Hispanic (6.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Twilligear (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 Twilligear mean?
A combination of "twilight" and "gear", possibly referring to someone who worked at dusk or with machinery. 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 Twilligear (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 Americans have the surname Twilligear?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.