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

Tenczar, 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 Tenczar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tenczar in America

Tenczar is the 79075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tenczar surname appeared 241 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 Tenczar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tenczar 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 Tenczar

The surname Tenczar is of Polish origin, first emerging in the 14th century in the region of Pomerania, which was then part of the Kingdom of Poland. The name is derived from the Old Polish word "tencza," meaning "trout," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been fishermen or lived near bodies of water abundant with trout.

One of the earliest known records of the name Tenczar dates back to 1387, when a certain Jan Tenczar was mentioned in a land registry document from the town of Gdańsk (known then as Danzig). The name also appears in several medieval Polish chronicles and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use among the nobility and commoners alike.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Tenczar name was Jakub Tenczar (1520-1598), a Polish diplomat and scholar who served as a royal secretary to King Sigismund II Augustus. Jakub was renowned for his diplomatic skills and his contributions to the study of Polish history and literature.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Andrzej Tenczar (1678-1742), a Polish military officer who fought in the Great Northern War against Sweden. He rose to the rank of general and played a crucial role in several decisive battles, earning him a reputation as a skilled strategist and leader.

In the 19th century, Józef Tenczar (1823-1892) was a renowned Polish artist and painter, known for his landscape and portrait works. His paintings, which often depicted scenes from rural Poland, are now considered treasures of the country's cultural heritage.

Towards the latter part of the 19th century, the name Tenczar also gained recognition in the field of literature, with the birth of Wladyslaw Tenczar (1867-1942), a celebrated Polish novelist and essayist. His works explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of the working class, earning him critical acclaim and a loyal readership.

The Tenczar surname has endured through the centuries, with its bearers leaving their mark in various fields, from military to academia, art, and literature. Though the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its Polish roots and association with the trout fish remain a fascinating part of its historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tenczar

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

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

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

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