2000
#6,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,590
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Tyndall
From the Old English for "someone who lived in a valley frequented by martens," a weasel-like animal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,134 Americans carry the last name Tyndall. That puts it at #7,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tyndall 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 Tyndall with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 66,762
Census rank
#7,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,477 bearers of the surname Tyndall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyndall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tyndall
The surname Tyndall originated in England and is believed to have derived from a place name. It is thought to have originated from the Old English word "tun", meaning an enclosure or homestead, and "dal", meaning a valley. The name was likely initially used to identify someone who lived near a valley or by an enclosed settlement.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Tyndall dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Tundel". This record suggests that the name was present in England during the Norman Conquest and was likely derived from a specific place name.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Tyndall" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating its widespread use across different regions of England by that time. The variant spelling "Tindall" was also documented in various historical records from the 14th century onwards.
One notable figure associated with the surname Tyndall was William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536), a renowned English scholar and translator who was the first to translate the Bible into English from the original Greek and Hebrew texts. His work played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation and laid the foundation for subsequent English Bible translations.
Another prominent individual with the surname Tyndall was John Tyndall (1820-1893), an Irish physicist renowned for his research on infrared radiation, the greenhouse effect, and the scattering of light by molecules in the atmosphere. He made significant contributions to the fields of atmospheric physics and glaciology.
In the 17th century, a man named William Tyndall (1617-1688) served as a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament in Bristol, England. He was actively involved in the city's trade and governance during his lifetime.
During the 18th century, John Tyndall (1744-1805) was a notable English architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath, including the iconic Royal Crescent and the Pump Room.
Another notable figure with the surname Tyndall was James Tyndall (1755-1838), an English physician and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of rock formations and fossils in the early 19th century.
The surname Tyndall has a rich history rooted in England, with its origins likely stemming from a place name related to an enclosed settlement or valley. Over the centuries, individuals with this surname have made notable contributions across various fields, including religion, science, architecture, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tyndall
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyndall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tyndall 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 Tyndall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 3,815
- Black or African American5.0% · 224
- Two or more races3.6% · 159
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 122
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tyndall
Tyndall 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
#6,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,786
+196 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 229 places
2020
#7,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,477
-309 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,770 | 4,590 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,999 | 4,786 | 1.62 | +196 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 229 places |
| 2020 | #7,197 | 4,477 | 1.50 | -309 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 198 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 Tyndall 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 | #6,999 | #7,197 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,786 | 4,477 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.50 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tyndall bearers went from 4,786 to 4,477 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 198 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,999 to #7,197.
FAQ
Tyndall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tyndall?
Name Census estimates that about 5,134 living Americans carry the surname Tyndall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,762 residents.
How common is Tyndall?
Tyndall ranks #7,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 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 4,477 people with the surname Tyndall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 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 Tyndall.
Has Tyndall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tyndall went from 4,786 recorded bearers to 4,477. That is a decrease of 309 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,999 to #7,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Tyndall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyndall, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Tyndall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (3,815 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tyndall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Tyndall (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 Tyndall mean?
From the Old English for "someone who lived in a valley frequented by martens," a weasel-like animal. 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 Tyndall (1.50 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 Tyndall?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.