Explore the Family Name Tilahun

The meaning of Tilahun

Ethiopian: from the personal name Tilahun, which is interpreted as ‘be a shadow (i.e. a guard)’ in the Amharic language. — Note: Since Ethiopians do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Tilahun in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Tilahun has seen a significant increase in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Tilahun ranked 78,326 in popularity with only 227 individuals bearing this surname. By 2010, the rank had improved to 44,730, with a count of 480 individuals, marking an impressive increase of 42.89% in rank and a remarkable 111.45% spike in the count. The proportion per 100,000 people also doubled during this period, going from 0.08 to 0.16.

20002010Change
Rank#78,326#44,73042.89%
Count227480111.45%
Proportion per 100k0.080.16100%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tilahun

With regards to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of individuals with the Tilahun surname identify as Black. In 2000, 90.31% of individuals with this surname identified as Black, which increased to 97.92% by 2010. This suggests an increase of 8.43% over the decade. Moreover, some individuals identified themselves as belonging to two or more races in 2000. However, no individuals reported being Asian/Pacific Islander, White, Hispanic, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
Black90.31%97.92%8.43%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races7.49%0%0%
White0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%