2000
#4,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,957
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.58
Rare Last name
Tenney
Derived from a place name meaning "burnt clearing" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,001 Americans carry the last name Tenney. That puts it at #4,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tenney 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
8.0K
1 in 42,839
Census rank
#4,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,977 bearers of the surname Tenney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tenney
The surname Tenney originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tun," meaning an enclosed village, and "ey," meaning an island or piece of dry land. The name may have referred to someone who lived in a village on an island or near a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England conducted in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Teodric de Tenia, which is likely an early spelling variation of Tenney.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records from the county of Essex, where it was often spelled as "Teneye" or "Tenye." This region was known for its numerous islands and marshlands, which may have contributed to the name's origin.
Over the centuries, the Tenney family dispersed throughout England, with some members settling in other parts of the country. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Tenney (1523-1590), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Worcestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual was John Tenney (1638-1690), an early settler in New England who immigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1638. He became a successful farmer and landowner in the town of Rowley, and many of his descendants went on to play significant roles in the development of the American colonies.
In the 18th century, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Tennant." One notable Scot was Sir James Tennant (1789-1854), a successful industrialist and businessman who founded the Tennant Company, a leading manufacturer of cleaning equipment.
Throughout history, the Tenney surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and industry. It has also been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in fields such as politics, military service, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tenney
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tenney 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 Tenney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 6,404
- Two or more races3.1% · 217
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 180
- Black or African American1.6% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tenney
Tenney 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
#4,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,238
+281 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 208 places
2020
#4,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,977
-261 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,660 | 6,957 | 2.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,868 | 7,238 | 2.45 | +281 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 208 places |
| 2020 | #4,902 | 6,977 | 2.33 | -261 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 34 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 Tenney 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 | #4,868 | #4,902 | -0.7% |
| Count | 7,238 | 6,977 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.45 | 2.33 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tenney bearers went from 7,238 to 6,977 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,868 to #4,902.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tenney
FAQ
Tenney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tenney?
Name Census estimates that about 8,001 living Americans carry the surname Tenney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,839 residents.
How common is Tenney?
Tenney ranks #4,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,977 people with the surname Tenney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tenney.
Has Tenney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tenney went from 7,238 recorded bearers to 6,977. That is a decrease of 261 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,868 to #4,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Tenney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tenney, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Tenney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (6,404 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tenney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Tenney (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 Tenney mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "burnt clearing" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a clearing. 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 Tenney (2.33 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 common is the surname Tenney?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Tenney, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.