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

Tant, 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 Tant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tant in America

Tant is the 13037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tant surname appeared 2,355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tant 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 Tant

The surname TANT has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "tant," meaning "so much" or "so great." This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who was particularly boastful or prone to exaggeration.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the 1160s.

During the 13th century, the name TANT began to spread to other parts of France, including the Île-de-France region around Paris. In 1289, a man named Robert TANT was mentioned in the Registres de la Cour des Comptes, a historical record of financial accounts from the French royal court.

The TANT surname has also been associated with several place names in France, such as Tanterville in Normandy and Tantonville in the Meurthe-et-Moselle region. These place names likely originated from the surname itself or from similar Old French words.

One notable bearer of the TANT surname was Jacques TANT (c. 1550-1615), a French Catholic priest and theologian from Rouen. He was a prolific writer and published several works on religious subjects, including a defense of the doctrine of transubstantiation.

Another significant figure was Pierre TANT (1590-1660), a French mathematician and astronomer from Normandy. He made important contributions to the study of comets and published a treatise on astronomical observations in 1639.

In the 18th century, the TANT surname gained prominence with Jean-Baptiste TANT (1728-1792), a French politician and lawyer from Besançon. He served as a deputy in the Estates-General and played a role in the early stages of the French Revolution.

The name also appeared in the literary world with Marie-Louise TANT (1789-1858), a French novelist and playwright from Paris. She wrote several popular works of fiction and was known for her comedic plays.

Lastly, a notable bearer of the TANT surname in the 19th century was Edmond TANT (1833-1901), a French artist and engraver from Bordeaux. He was renowned for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted scenes from French history and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tant

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

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

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

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