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

Tankel, 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 Tankel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tankel in America

Tankel is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tankel surname appeared 149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tankel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tankel 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 Tankel

The surname "Tankel" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the early 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Tankel," which means "fool" or "simpleton." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was perceived as foolish or simple-minded.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Tankel" can be found in the town records of Freiburg, Germany, dating back to 1537. The entry mentions a certain Hans Tankel, who was a local merchant. Another notable reference comes from the 17th century, where a document from the city of Hamburg mentions a Johann Tankel, a skilled craftsman and member of the local guild.

In the 18th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Germany, with records indicating the presence of individuals bearing the surname "Tankel" in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure from this era was Friedrich Tankel, a renowned clockmaker from Zurich, Switzerland, who lived from 1712 to 1782 and was known for his intricate timepiece designs.

As the name traveled across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including "Tankel," "Tanckel," and "Tänkel." In the 19th century, a prominent individual with this surname was Johann Georg Tankel, a German composer and musician born in 1823 in Dresden. His compositions, though not widely known today, were well-regarded during his lifetime.

Another individual of note was Karl Tankel, a German philosopher and academic who lived from 1865 to 1942. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and made significant contributions to the fields of epistemology and metaphysics.

While the name "Tankel" is not as common today as it once was, it still holds a place in history, reflecting its German origins and the diverse paths taken by those who bore this surname over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tankel

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

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 Tankel 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 Tankel 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 Tankel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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