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

Tennison, 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 Tennison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tennison in America

Tennison is the 10179th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tennison surname appeared 3,169 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 Tennison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tennison 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 Tennison

The surname Tennison has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "tun," meaning an enclosure or village, and "hus," meaning a house or dwelling. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a town or village, distinguishing them from those living in rural areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Tenisun." This document, a survey of landholders in England, provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time period.

The Tennison surname has also appeared in various historical records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, where it is spelled "Tenysone." These records, which were used for the collection of taxes, offer a glimpse into the economic and social status of individuals bearing the name.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Tennyngson," as seen in the records of St. Mary's Church in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, where a John Tennyngson was mentioned in 1564. This variation in spelling was common during that period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

One notable individual with the Tennison surname was Sir Thomas Tennison, who lived from 1608 to 1668. He was a Member of Parliament for St. Albans and held the position of High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1664. His son, Thomas Tennison, born in 1636, became the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death in 1715.

Another prominent figure was Edward Tennison, born in 1672, who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Great Bedwyn in Wiltshire from 1701 to 1708. His son, also named Edward Tennison, followed in his footsteps and represented the same borough in Parliament from 1722 to 1734.

In the 18th century, the Tennison family had connections to the county of Lincolnshire. Reverend John Tennison, born in 1715, was the Rector of Gedney in Lincolnshire from 1741 until his death in 1785.

While the surname Tennison has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and immigration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely associated with specific towns or villages and served as a way to identify individuals and their place of residence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tennison

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

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

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

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