Explore the Family Name Tiger
The meaning of Tiger
1. Native American (Creek): from a translation into English of the Muscogee Creek clan name Katcvlke (‘Tiger clan’), derived from a word meaning ‘tiger (i.e. cougar)’. 2. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of any other personal name based on a word, such as Lakota Sioux igmu, meaning generically ‘cat’, but more specifically denoting a ‘tiger (i.e. panther)’. Compare Panther. 3. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Tiger, Yiddish tiger ‘tiger’. 4. Probably a variant of Dygert, a surname of German origin. Compare Tyger.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tiger in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Tiger saw a slight drop in popularity between 2000 and 2010, with a rank change of -0.38. In terms of sheer numbers, however, more individuals carried this surname in 2010 than in 2000, as shown by an 8.39 percent increase in count from 2,240 to 2,428. This shift resulted in a small decrease in proportion per 100,000 people, indicating that while the absolute number of people named Tiger increased, the overall population growth caused the relative prevalence of the surname to slightly decline.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,667 | #12,715 | -0.38% |
| Count | 2,240 | 2,428 | 8.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.83 | 0.82 | -1.2% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tiger
Shifting focus to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates a noticeable diversification among those carrying the Tiger surname from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of Tigers identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander saw a substantial rise of 144.44 percent, while the Hispanic representation also grew significantly at 44.83 percent. Those identifying with two or more races rose modestly by 11.04 percent. Conversely, the proportion of Tigers identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 7.53 percent. Likewise, the portion of Tigers identifying as Black decreased by 6.4 percent. White Tigers saw a minimal increase of 2.64 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 42.77% | 43.9% | 2.64% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 41.16% | 38.06% | -7.53% |
| Two or More Races | 6.34% | 7.04% | 11.04% |
| Black | 6.56% | 6.14% | -6.4% |
| Hispanic | 2.9% | 4.2% | 44.83% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.66% | 144.44% |