2000
#26,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 873
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Tenbrink
A Dutch toponymic name referring to someone living near a small bridge or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,169 Americans carry the last name Tenbrink. That puts it at #25,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 293,203 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tenbrink 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
1.2K
1 in 293,203
Census rank
#25,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,019 bearers of the surname Tenbrink in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenbrink, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tenbrink
The surname TENBRINK is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Low German words "ten" meaning "by the" and "brink" meaning "edge" or "bank." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a riverbank or on the edge of a settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a medieval document from the town of Münster, Westphalia, in 1289, where a person named Henricus ten Brinke is mentioned. This spelling variation, "ten Brinke," was common in the early days and reflects the name's origins as a descriptive term.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name TENBRINK began to spread throughout different regions of Germany, particularly in the northern and central areas. It is found in various historical records from towns and cities such as Bremen, Hamburg, and Hanover, indicating the migration and settlement patterns of families bearing this surname.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname TENBRINK was Johann TENBRINK (1510-1585), a German merchant and trader who was involved in the Hanseatic League's commercial activities in the Baltic region. His descendants continued the family's mercantile traditions, and the name became associated with successful business ventures.
Another prominent individual was Anna TENBRINK (1695-1765), a German writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works during the Enlightenment period. Her collection of poems, titled "Gedichte aus dem Herzen" (Poems from the Heart), was widely acclaimed and contributed to the cultural landscape of the time.
In the 19th century, Carl TENBRINK (1819-1892) was a respected German architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and the Reichsbank in Frankfurt. His architectural legacy left a lasting impact on the urban landscapes of these cities.
As the TENBRINK surname spread across Europe and beyond, it also found its way into other languages and cultures. In the Netherlands, for example, the name is sometimes spelled as "TENBRINKE" or "TEN BRINKE," reflecting the Dutch linguistic influence.
Throughout its history, the name TENBRINK has been associated with various professions, from merchants and writers to architects and other occupations. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the surname has become a part of the cultural tapestry of many regions and countries over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tenbrink
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenbrink, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tenbrink 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 Tenbrink surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 891
- Two or more races4.9% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.1% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 9
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tenbrink
Tenbrink 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
#24,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,006
+133 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 1,544 places
2020
#25,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,019
+13 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 672 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,306 | 873 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,762 | 1,006 | 0.34 | +133 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 1,544 places |
| 2020 | #25,434 | 1,019 | 0.34 | +13 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 672 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 Tenbrink 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 | #24,762 | #25,434 | -2.7% |
| Count | 1,006 | 1,019 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.34 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tenbrink bearers went from 1,006 to 1,019 (+1.3% change). The surname moved down 672 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,762 to #25,434.
FAQ
Tenbrink surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tenbrink?
Name Census estimates that about 1,169 living Americans carry the surname Tenbrink. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 293,203 residents.
How common is Tenbrink?
Tenbrink ranks #25,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,019 people with the surname Tenbrink. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Tenbrink.
Has Tenbrink become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tenbrink went from 1,006 recorded bearers to 1,019. That is an increase of 13 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,762 to #25,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Tenbrink?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenbrink, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.1%). 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 Tenbrink in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (891 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tenbrink appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.1%). 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 Tenbrink (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 Tenbrink mean?
A Dutch toponymic name referring to someone living near a small bridge or stream. 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 Tenbrink (0.34 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 Tenbrink?
You can see how many people are called Tenbrink on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.