Tillman

Tillman is a surname of English origin, typically considered an occupational name for a tiller of land. It has variant spellings such as Tilman and Tilmann and is found in many English-speaking countries.

Notable people with the surname include Ben Tillman (1839–1918), an American politician who served as governor of South Carolina and as a U.S. senator; his tenure is associated with populist policies and white supremacist actions that restricted Black civil rights. Pat Tillman (1976–2004), an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals who left the NFL to enlist in the U.S. Army after the September 11 attacks and died in Afghanistan; he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, and his life led to the establishment of the Pat Tillman Foundation to support veterans and scholars. George Tillman Jr. (born 1969), an American film and television director known for works such as Men of Honor and the Barbershop film series.

In addition to people, Tillman appears in geographic and institutional names, reflecting the surname’s historical spread in the United States and other English-speaking regions. The name is primarily recognized as a family name, though it can appear in various place names and organizational titles named after individuals bearing the surname.