Find out how popular the last name Tanguay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tanguay.

Tanguay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tanguay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tanguay in America

Tanguay is the 12802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tanguay surname appeared 2,409 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tanguay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tanguay to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tanguay

The surname Tanguay is of French origin, originating from the Normandy region of northern France during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic personal name "Tancwart," which is composed of the elements "thanc" meaning "thought" and "wart" meaning "guard" or "watchman."

Tanguay is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 11th or 12th century, with the earliest known record of the name appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely brought to England by Norman settlers following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Tanguay was Robert Tanguay, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the invasion of England in 1066. He was granted lands in Gloucestershire for his service and is mentioned in the Domesday Book.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Tancart, Tancwart, and Tancwarde, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Tanguay, a knight who fought in the Crusades and is recorded as participating in the Siege of Acre in 1191.

During the Middle Ages, the Tanguay family established roots in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Anjou. One prominent member of the family was Jean Tanguay (1349-1415), a French nobleman and military leader who served under King Charles VI during the Hundred Years' War.

As the surname spread across Europe, it also took on localized spellings and variations. In Italy, for example, the name became Tanguai or Tanguaglia, while in Spain it was rendered as Tanguayo or Tanguaya.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tanguay include:

• Pierre Tanguay (1655-1737), a French-Canadian settler and pioneer in New France (present-day Quebec)
• Cyprien Tanguay (1819-1902), a French-Canadian Catholic priest and historian known for his work on the genealogy of French-Canadian families
• Georges Tanguay (1893-1964), a French-Canadian painter and member of the Beaver Hall Group
• Réjean Tanguay (1938-2020), a Canadian politician and member of the National Assembly of Quebec
• Chantal Tanguay (born 1978), a Canadian professional wrestler and former WWE Diva

Throughout its history, the surname Tanguay has maintained its connection to its French and Norman roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the regions where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tanguay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tanguay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tanguay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tanguay has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tanguay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tanguay, please contact us.

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