2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tannian
A surname derived from an Armenian occupational name for a tanner or leatherworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Tannian. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tannian 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Tannian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tannian, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tannian
The surname Tannian is believed to have originated in modern-day Iran, with roots dating back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Persian word "tan," meaning "body" or "figure," combined with the suffix "-ian," indicating belonging or possession. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person of a particular physique or stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tannian can be found in ancient Persian manuscripts from the Sassanid era (224-651 AD). These documents mention individuals bearing the name, though the exact context and details remain uncertain.
During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries), the Tannian name gained prominence in various regions of the Middle East and Central Asia. Several notable figures from this period bore the surname, including Abul-Qasim Tannian, a renowned astronomer and mathematician who lived in the 10th century.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the Tannian name spread across various territories, including parts of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. In the 12th century, a prominent Sufi scholar and mystic named Ibn Tannian gained recognition for his influential writings on spiritual teachings.
During the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, the Tannian name found its way into regions of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Historical records from this period mention a military commander named Amir Tannian, who served under the Mongol ruler Hulagu Khan.
As trade routes and cultural exchange flourished along the Silk Road, the Tannian name traveled further, reaching regions like modern-day Afghanistan and parts of the Indian subcontinent. In the 16th century, a Persian poet named Mir Tannian gained recognition for his lyrical compositions and contributions to Persian literature.
Over the centuries, the Tannian surname has appeared in various contexts, from scholarly works to military chronicles, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and professions of those who bore this name. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Persia, the Tannian name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of the Middle East and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tannian
Among Census respondents with the surname Tannian, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tannian 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 Tannian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tannian
Tannian 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,441 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,441 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 3,730 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 Tannian 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 | #150,452 | #154,182 | -2.5% |
| Count | 109 | 103 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tannian bearers went from 109 to 103 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 3,730 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,182.
FAQ
Tannian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tannian?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Tannian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Tannian?
Tannian ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Tannian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tannian.
Has Tannian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tannian went from 109 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Tannian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tannian, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Tannian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tannian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Tannian (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 Tannian mean?
A surname derived from an Armenian occupational name for a tanner or leatherworker. 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 Tannian (0.03 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 Tannian?
If you just want to know how common the surname Tannian is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.