2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tankesley
From the English place name Tankersley, referring to someone who lived there or nearby.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Tankesley. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tankesley 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Tankesley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tankesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tankesley
The surname Tankesley has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the town of Tankkersley, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name itself is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "tanca," meaning a pool or small body of water, and "ley," meaning a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, a legal record from 1301, where a Robert de Tankesley is listed. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th or early 14th century.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Tankersleye, Tankersley, and Tankresley, reflecting the variation in spelling that was common during that period. One notable figure from this time was John de Tankesley, who served as the Constable of Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire in the late 1300s.
As the surname spread beyond its original location, it was sometimes adapted to reflect local pronunciation and spelling conventions. For instance, in the 16th century, there are records of a Robert Tankerslie living in Nottinghamshire, suggesting that the name had traveled to other parts of England.
In the 17th century, a prominent individual bearing the name was Sir John Tankesley, a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire from 1628 to 1629. Another notable figure was Thomas Tankesley, a clergyman and author who lived from 1607 to 1687.
The 18th century saw the emergence of John Tankesley, a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, whose works are still highly prized by collectors today. He lived from 1714 to 1790 and is considered one of the most skilled horologists of his time.
In the 19th century, the surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with records showing individuals with the name residing in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. One notable figure from this period was William Tankesley, a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Leeds and surrounding areas in the mid-1800s.
While the surname Tankesley is not among the most common in modern times, it retains a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the Yorkshire region of England, where it emerged as a locational name reflecting the local geography and landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tankesley
Among Census respondents with the surname Tankesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tankesley 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 Tankesley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tankesley
Tankesley 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+7 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,587 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-21 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 2,587 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 19,433 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 Tankesley 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 | #132,206 | #151,639 | -14.7% |
| Count | 128 | 107 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tankesley bearers went from 128 to 107 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 19,433 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #151,639.
FAQ
Tankesley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tankesley?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Tankesley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Tankesley?
Tankesley ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Tankesley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tankesley.
Has Tankesley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tankesley went from 128 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Tankesley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tankesley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Tankesley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tankesley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (6.5%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Tankesley (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 Tankesley mean?
From the English place name Tankersley, referring to someone who lived there or nearby. 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 Tankesley (0.04 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 surname Tankesley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.