2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tyrus
An occupational surname derived from the Greek word "tyros", meaning "fortress" or "castle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Tyrus. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tyrus 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Tyrus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tyrus
The surname Tyrus originates from the ancient Greek city-state of Tyre, located in what is now modern-day Lebanon. The name derives from the Greek word "Tyros," which means "rock" or "fortified place." It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the Byzantine era, when many Greek surnames were formed from place names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tyrus can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a prominent merchant from Tyre named Tyrus, who was known for his extensive trade networks across the Mediterranean.
In the Middle Ages, the name Tyrus appeared in various manuscripts and chronicles, particularly those related to the Crusades. During this time, the city of Tyre was a strategic stronghold and played a significant role in the conflicts between Christian and Muslim forces.
A notable figure bearing the name Tyrus was Aldric Tyrus, a French knight who fought in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under the command of Richard the Lionheart. Aldric was born around 1165 and is mentioned in contemporary accounts for his bravery and leadership during the siege of Acre.
Another historical figure was Petrus Tyrus, a Benedictine monk and chronicler who lived in the 12th century. He is best known for his work "Historia Rerum in Partibus Transmarinis Gestarum," which documented the events of the Crusades in the Holy Land.
In the 14th century, a merchant named Giovanni Tyrus from Venice was renowned for his successful trading ventures in the Eastern Mediterranean. His name is recorded in various Venetian archives and commercial records from that period.
During the Renaissance, a prominent Italian humanist scholar and philosopher named Marsilio Tyrus (1428-1499) gained recognition for his works on ethics and political philosophy. He was born in Tyre and later lived in Florence, where he became a respected figure in intellectual circles.
Throughout history, variations of the surname Tyrus have also been found, such as Tyrius, Tyro, and Tyron. These variations often reflected the local dialects and linguistic adaptations of the name in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tyrus
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tyrus 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 Tyrus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American64.5% · 69
- White13.1% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 11
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tyrus
Tyrus 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,906 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,906 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Tyrus 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tyrus bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Tyrus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tyrus?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Tyrus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Tyrus?
Tyrus ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Tyrus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Tyrus.
Has Tyrus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tyrus went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Tyrus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tyrus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (10.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tyrus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.5% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tyrus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (64.5%), White (13.1%), Hispanic (10.3%). 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 Tyrus (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 Tyrus mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Greek word "tyros", meaning "fortress" or "castle". 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 Tyrus (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 last name Tyrus?
Find out how many people are called Tyrus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.