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

Tea, 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 Tea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tea in America

Tea is the 22450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tea surname appeared 1,146 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 Tea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tea 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 Tea

The surname Tea originated from the Anglo-Saxon word "teg", which means a person who lived near a small stream or water source. It is believed to have first appeared in England during the 8th century AD. The name was most prevalent in the counties of Somerset and Devon in the southwestern part of the country.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname Tea can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. There are several entries for individuals with the surname Tea or variations such as Tey, Tee, and Tye.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Tea was often associated with certain place names, such as Tey in Essex and Tye Green in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from the same Anglo-Saxon root word as the surname, indicating the presence of a small stream or water source.

One notable figure with the surname Tea was Sir William Tea (1560-1634), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was John Tea (1675-1741), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who was known for his charitable contributions to the city.

In the 18th century, the Tea surname gained recognition through the work of James Tea (1722-1792), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Admiralty Office and the Adelphi Terrace.

During the Victorian era, one of the most famous bearers of the surname was Charlotte Tea (1816-1901), a British novelist and social reformer. Her works, which often explored themes of gender inequality and women's rights, were widely read and influential in shaping public discourse on these issues.

Another noteworthy individual was Sir Henry Tea (1845-1925), a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of wildlife in East Africa. His extensive collections and writings on African fauna and flora were instrumental in advancing scientific knowledge in these fields.

While the surname Tea can be traced back to its Anglo-Saxon origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and significance of this surname throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tea

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

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

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

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