2000
#8,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Tye
An English occupational surname referring to someone who manufactured or sold neckwear or belts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,182 Americans carry the last name Tye. That puts it at #8,636 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tye 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 Tye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,959
Census rank
#8,636
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,647 bearers of the surname Tye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8636th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tye, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tye
The surname Tye is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "tyge," which means a small enclosure or croft. This name was initially used to denote someone who lived near a small enclosure or within a croft.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Tye can be traced back to the 13th century in various county records across England. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Kent, Essex, and Suffolk, where the name was particularly prevalent.
In the 14th century, the surname Tye appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, where it was spelled as "Atte Tye." This spelling variation suggests that the name was likely derived from a place name or a location where a person resided near a small enclosure or croft.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tye can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, which mentioned a person named Walter Tye.
During the 16th century, the surname Tye gained prominence in various parts of England. Notable individuals bearing this name included Sir Robert Tye (1507-1564), a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
In the 17th century, the surname Tye was associated with several notable figures, including John Tye (1609-1672), a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
Another notable individual with the surname Tye was Christopher Tye (c. 1505-1572), an English Renaissance composer and musician who served as the Master of the Choristers at Ely Cathedral.
During the 18th century, the surname Tye continued to be prominent in various regions of England. One notable bearer of the name was Samuel Tye (1724-1798), a renowned clockmaker from Gloucestershire who was known for his exceptional craftsmanship.
In the 19th century, the surname Tye was associated with several notable figures, including William Tye (1815-1892), a British landscape painter and member of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Throughout its history, the surname Tye has been closely associated with various place names and locations, particularly in the counties of Kent, Essex, and Suffolk, where the name was most prevalent. Despite its English origins, the surname Tye has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tye
Among Census respondents with the surname Tye, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tye 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 Tye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.5% · 2,533
- Black or African American20.3% · 742
- Two or more races4.3% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tye
Tye 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
#8,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,746
+137 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 346 places
2020
#8,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,647
-99 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,410 | 3,609 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,756 | 3,746 | 1.27 | +137 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 346 places |
| 2020 | #8,636 | 3,647 | 1.22 | -99 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 120 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 Tye 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 | #8,756 | #8,636 | 1.4% |
| Count | 3,746 | 3,647 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.22 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tye bearers went from 3,746 to 3,647 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,756 to #8,636.
FAQ
Tye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tye?
Name Census estimates that about 4,182 living Americans carry the surname Tye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,959 residents.
How common is Tye?
Tye ranks #8,636 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,647 people with the surname Tye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tye.
Has Tye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tye went from 3,746 recorded bearers to 3,647. That is a decrease of 99 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,756 to #8,636.
What does the Census say about the background of Tye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tye, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Tye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (2,533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.5%), Black (20.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Tye (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 Tye mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who manufactured or sold neckwear or belts. 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 Tye (1.22 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 Tye?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.