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

Tennis, 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 Tennis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tennis in America

Tennis is the 17789th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tennis surname appeared 1,574 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 Tennis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tennis 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 Tennis

The surname Tennis originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "teneor," which means "tenant" or "holder of land." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely landholders or tenants during the Norman conquest of England.

Tennis is believed to have stemmed from the Anglo-Norman French name "le Teneour," which was commonly used to refer to landowners or tenants. As the name evolved over time, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Tenour, Teneour, and eventually Tennis.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Tennis surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated around 1190. These rolls were medieval public records that documented financial transactions and accounts related to land and taxes. The entry in the Pipe Rolls references a "William le Teneour," providing evidence of the name's existence in the late 12th century.

Another notable historical reference to the Tennis surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. These rolls were administrative records that catalogued landholdings and property owners. The entry mentions a "John le Teneour," further solidifying the surname's presence in medieval England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Tennis surname was Sir John Tennis, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. Born around 1310, Sir John Tennis held significant estates in Warwickshire and Gloucestershire, and his name appears in various legal documents and charters from that era.

Another notable figure bearing the Tennis surname was William Tennis, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. Born in 1426, William Tennis was a successful trader and played an influential role in the governance of the city, serving as an alderman from 1470 until his death in 1494.

In the 16th century, the Tennis surname gained prominence with the rise of John Tennis, a renowned English playwright and poet. Born in 1558, John Tennis was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is credited with several plays and poetic works that were widely acclaimed during the Elizabethan era.

As the surname spread across England, its spelling variations continued to evolve. In the 17th century, records show instances of the name being spelled as Tennys, Tennies, and Tennishe, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations of the time.

One of the most prominent figures with the Tennis surname was Sir Thomas Tennis, a distinguished military officer and statesman who lived during the 18th century. Born in 1712, Sir Thomas Tennis served in the British Army and later became a member of Parliament, where he played a significant role in shaping policies and legislation during his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tennis

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

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

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

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