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

Tanna, 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 Tanna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tanna in America

Tanna is the 50659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tanna surname appeared 412 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 Tanna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tanna 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 Tanna

The surname Tanna has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "tanna," which means "thin" or "slender." The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone with a thin or slender physique.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tanna can be traced back to the 16th century in various historical documents and records from the region. One notable example is the mention of a person named Tanna Mal in the "Akbar Nama," a biographical account of the Mughal emperor Akbar, written in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Tanna appeared in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a detailed administrative document compiled during the reign of Akbar, which listed several individuals with this surname serving as officials or landowners.

During the 18th century, the name Tanna gained prominence with the rise of the Tanna family, a influential clan based in the region of Rajasthan. The family played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the region during that time.

One of the most notable figures from this family was Maharaja Tanna Singh (1720-1788), who ruled the princely state of Tanna in present-day Rajasthan. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts in expanding the territory under his control.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname Tanna was Pandit Tanna Ram (1802-1876), a renowned scholar and author from Punjab. He wrote several works on Vedic literature and philosophy, making significant contributions to the preservation and study of ancient Indian texts.

In the 19th century, the name Tanna was also associated with the town of Tanna in the Indian state of Maharashtra. This town, also known as Thane, was an important trading center during the British colonial period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tanna in English records can be found in the "East India Register and Directory" from 1835, which listed a person named Bhaee Tanna as a merchant operating in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Throughout history, the surname Tanna has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including rulers, scholars, merchants, and landowners, primarily originating from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tanna

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

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

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

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