2000
#12,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Tanguay
A French occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold a type of breeches or stockings.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,506 Americans carry the last name Tanguay. That puts it at #13,343 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tanguay surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,773
Census rank
#13,343
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,185 bearers of the surname Tanguay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13343rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanguay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanguay
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanguay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tanguay bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tanguay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,030
- Two or more races3.5% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tanguay
Tanguay appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,409
+52 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 665 places
2020
#13,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,185
-224 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 541 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,137 | 2,357 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,802 | 2,409 | 0.82 | +52 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 665 places |
| 2020 | #13,343 | 2,185 | 0.73 | -224 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 541 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tanguay surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,802 | #13,343 | -4.2% |
| Count | 2,409 | 2,185 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.73 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tanguay bearers went from 2,409 to 2,185 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 541 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,802 to #13,343.
FAQ
Tanguay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tanguay?
Name Census estimates that about 2,506 living Americans carry the surname Tanguay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,773 residents.
How common is Tanguay?
Tanguay ranks #13,343 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,185 people with the surname Tanguay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,506), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tanguay.
Has Tanguay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tanguay went from 2,409 recorded bearers to 2,185. That is a decrease of 224 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,802 to #13,343.
What does the Census say about the background of Tanguay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanguay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tanguay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,030 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tanguay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tanguay (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tanguay mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold a type of breeches or stockings. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tanguay (0.73 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Tanguay?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Tanguay is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.