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

Tankson, 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 Tankson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tankson in America

Tankson is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tankson surname appeared 175 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 Tankson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tankson 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 Tankson

The surname Tankson is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "tanca" meaning tank or pool, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a pool or pond.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a Richard Tankessone is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer. This entry provides evidence that variations of the name were already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 document a Robert de Tankesone in Lincolnshire. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled for the purpose of tax assessment. This further supports the early presence of the name and its variants in different regions of England.

The Tankson surname may also be connected to certain place names, such as Tankerton in Kent, which was recorded as Tankardestone in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests a possible link between the surname and locations with similar names.

Notable individuals with the Tankson surname include Sir John Tankson (1543-1622), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Kent. Another prominent figure was William Tankson (1678-1745), a renowned clockmaker from London. In the 19th century, Edward Tankson (1812-1892) was a respected architect who designed several churches in the Gothic Revival style.

Other recorded examples of the name include Thomas Tankson (1551-1610), a merchant in Bristol, and James Tankson (1723-1798), a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

While the origins of the Tankson surname can be traced back to medieval England, it is a name that has endured and spread to various parts of the world over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tankson

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

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

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

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