Explore the Family Name Tillinghast

The meaning of Tillinghast

English (Middlesex): habitational name from Tillinghurst in Sussex. The placename may derive from an Old English personal name Titta + Old English connective -ing- or the Old English groupname suffix -ingas (genitive -inga-) + hyrst ‘hillock, copse’, meaning ‘the copse associated with Titta’ or ‘the copse of Titta’s people’. This surname is rare in Britain and Ireland.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Tillinghast has seen a minor fluctuation in popularity over the years. In 2000, Tillinghast was ranked 20,945th most popular surname and by 2010 it dropped slightly to the 21,371st spot, marking a decline of 2.03%. However, the count of people with the Tillinghast surname rose from 1,170 in 2000 to 1,225 in 2010, an increase of 4.7%. The proportion of individuals named Tillinghast per 100,000 population also saw a minimal decrease of 2.33%, going from 0.43 in 2000 to 0.42 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#20,945#21,371-2.03%
Count1,1701,2254.7%
Proportion per 100k0.430.42-2.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tillinghast

From an ethnic identity perspective, there have been some changes noted in the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased by 2.45%, from 96.32% in 2000 to 93.96% in 2010. The Hispanic representation within the Tillinghast surname holders increased considerably by 90.96%, moving up from 1.88% in 2000 to 3.59% in 2010. There was also a slight increase in those reporting two or more races, rising from 1.20% in 2000 to 1.31% in 2010. While in 2000 there were no individuals with the Tillinghast surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, by 2010 there was a small representation of 0.49%. There were no Tillinghasts who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
White96.32%93.96%-2.45%
Hispanic1.88%3.59%90.96%
Two or More Races1.2%1.31%9.17%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.49%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%