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

Tanner, 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 Tanner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tanner in America

Tanner is the 709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tanner surname appeared 48,813 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Tanner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tanner 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 Tanner

The surname Tanner originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English "tannere", referring to someone who tanned animal hides to produce leather. The name is found throughout England, particularly in London, Essex, and the southern counties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tanner appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a certain Roger le Tannur is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a John le Tannere is listed. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the placename Tannor is recorded in Suffolk, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

In the 13th century, a William le Tannur was a prominent citizen of London and served as an alderman. Sir John Tanner (c. 1350-1416) was a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1399. Another notable figure was Edmund Tanner (1575-1655), an English clergyman and scholar who served as Bishop of St. Asaph and wrote several religious works.

Thomas Tanner (1674-1735) was an English antiquarian and bishop who served as Chancellor of Norwich Cathedral and published several works on British antiquities. His contemporary, Dr. Thomas Tanner (1692-1768), was a prominent physician and writer on medical topics. In the 18th century, John Tanner (1715-1795) was a Mohawk leader and interpreter who played a significant role in the American Revolution.

Other notable individuals with the surname Tanner include Benjamin Tanner (1835-1923), an American author and educator; Amy Tanner (1859-1951), a British trade unionist and suffragette; and Clarence Tanner (1902-1984), an American baseball player and manager in the Negro Leagues.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tanner

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

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

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

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