Explore the Family Name Tilly
The meaning of Tilly
1. German: from a shortened form of Tilling, which itself is a patronymic from Till. 2. English and Irish: variant of Tilley. 3. Irish: variant of Tully. 4. French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France called Tilly. Examples in Eure and Calvados are so called (Tilliacum in medieval records) from the Gallo-Roman personal name Tillius (probably from Latin tilia ‘lime tree’) + the locative suffix -acum.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tilly in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Tilly has seen a steady increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the name ranked 21,004th in terms of frequency and had a count of 1,166 people using it. However, by 2010, the rank improved to 20,239 and the count increased to 1,315—a growth rate of 12.78%. The proportion of people with the surname Tilly per 100k also rose by 4.65% over these ten years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,004 | #20,239 | 3.64% |
| Count | 1,166 | 1,315 | 12.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.43 | 0.45 | 4.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tilly
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with the surname Tilly identified as White, increasing slightly from 86.79% in 2000 to 87.98% in 2010. In contrast, the percentage of those identifying as Black decreased from 8.66% to 5.93%. There was also a significant rise in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic groups, with increases of 139.22% and 106.2%, respectively. However, there was nearly a 50% drop in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category, indicating a decrease in this ethnic identity among the Tilly family.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.79% | 87.98% | 1.37% |
| Black | 8.66% | 5.93% | -31.52% |
| Hispanic | 1.29% | 2.66% | 106.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.37% | 23.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 1.22% | 139.22% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.63% | 0.84% | -48.47% |