2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Twilling
An occupational surname derived from the textile trade, referring to someone who twilled fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Twilling. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Twilling 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Twilling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Twilling
The surname TWILLING originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "twillen" and "twili," which referred to a type of coarse cloth or linen fabric. The name likely designated someone who worked as a weaver or dealer of this particular textile.
TWILLING was first recorded in historical documents from the 13th century, with early variations of the spelling including Twyllyn, Twyllyng, and Twillinge. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Twyllyn.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various English county records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Twyllynge was listed in 1317. Another early bearer of the name was Walter Twyllynge, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
During the 15th century, the TWILLING surname spread across different regions of England. A notable example is John Twyllyng, a prominent merchant and member of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London, who was recorded in 1436.
As the surname evolved, it took on various spellings, including Twilling, Twylling, and Twillinge. In the 16th century, a William Twyllynge was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1518, while a Thomas Twillinge was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524.
One of the earliest known individuals with the TWILLING surname was John Twilling, born circa 1560 in Oxfordshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a churchwarden in his local parish.
In the 17th century, the TWILLING name appeared in several notable contexts. Robert Twilling, born in 1632 in Worcestershire, was a respected scholar and author who published works on theology and philosophy.
Another individual of note was William Twilling, born in 1670 in Yorkshire, who served as a captain in the English Army during the Nine Years' War against France.
The 18th century saw the continued presence of the TWILLING surname across England. In 1712, a John Twilling was recorded as a merchant in the Port Books of London, while a Thomas Twilling, born in 1742 in Gloucestershire, was a renowned architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings.
As the centuries progressed, the TWILLING surname spread beyond England to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the colonies and territories of the British Empire. Notable bearers of the name included Robert Twilling, born in 1809 in County Antrim, Ireland, who was a renowned mathematician and professor at Trinity College, Dublin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Twilling
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Twilling 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 Twilling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Two or more races7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Twilling
Twilling 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+16 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,287 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 7,287 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Twilling 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Twilling bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Twilling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Twilling?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Twilling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Twilling?
Twilling ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Twilling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Twilling.
Has Twilling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Twilling went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Twilling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Twilling, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Twilling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Twilling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Twilling (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 Twilling mean?
An occupational surname derived from the textile trade, referring to someone who twilled fabric. 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 Twilling (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 Twilling?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.