2000
#9,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Tanksley
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Tanka's meadow" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,765 Americans carry the last name Tanksley. That puts it at #9,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tanksley 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
3.8K
1 in 91,037
Census rank
#9,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,283 bearers of the surname Tanksley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanksley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tanksley
The surname Tanksley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Cheshire. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now-lost place called "Tangley" or a similar spelling variation. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "tang" meaning "fork" or "tongue of land" and "ley" meaning "meadow" or "clearing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tanksley surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cheshire from the year 1260, where a "Richard de Tangelegh" is mentioned. The name appears to have been concentrated in the Cheshire and Lancashire areas during its early history.
In the 14th century, records show a "John de Tanglegh" mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1344. The Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire from 1545 list a "Robert Tancksley," indicating the name's evolution to a more modern spelling.
A notable figure in the history of the Tanksley name was Sir John Tanksley (1602-1678), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cheshire during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I.
Another individual of historical significance was Richard Tanksley (1717-1789), a renowned English clockmaker from Lancashire. His intricate and highly accurate clocks were sought after by wealthy patrons throughout the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Tanksley surname appears to have spread more widely across England, with records showing instances of the name in various counties. One notable figure from this period was Mary Tanksley (1839-1923), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in education.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Tanksley name had also found its way to other parts of the English-speaking world, with individuals bearing the surname appearing in records from the United States, Canada, and other former British colonies.
Overall, the surname Tanksley has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with its origins likely tied to a specific location or settlement in the Cheshire region. While the name has evolved in spelling over time, it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, from politics and clockmaking to education and civil rights.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanksley
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanksley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tanksley 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 Tanksley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.0% · 1,608
- Black or African American41.4% · 1,359
- Two or more races5.6% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tanksley
Tanksley 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
#9,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,325
+212 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#9,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,283
-42 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 271 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,578 | 3,113 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,747 | 3,325 | 1.13 | +212 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #9,476 | 3,283 | 1.10 | -42 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 271 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 Tanksley 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 | #9,747 | #9,476 | 2.8% |
| Count | 3,325 | 3,283 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.10 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tanksley bearers went from 3,325 to 3,283 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 271 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,747 to #9,476.
FAQ
Tanksley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tanksley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,765 living Americans carry the surname Tanksley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,037 residents.
How common is Tanksley?
Tanksley ranks #9,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,283 people with the surname Tanksley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Tanksley.
Has Tanksley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tanksley went from 3,325 recorded bearers to 3,283. That is a decrease of 42 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,747 to #9,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Tanksley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanksley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (41.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Tanksley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.0% (1,608 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tanksley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.0%), Black (41.4%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Tanksley (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 Tanksley mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Tanka's meadow" in Old English. 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 Tanksley (1.10 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 are called Tanksley?
Find out how many people are called Tanksley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.