2000
#9,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Tennison
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "farm or settlement of Tenni's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,198 Americans carry the last name Tennison. That puts it at #10,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tennison 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tennison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,178
Census rank
#10,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,789 bearers of the surname Tennison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tennison
Among Census respondents with the surname Tennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tennison 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 Tennison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.1% · 2,068
- Black or African American14.1% · 393
- Two or more races4.7% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.3% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tennison
Tennison 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
#10,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,169
+141 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 334 places
2020
#10,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,789
-380 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,845 | 3,028 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,179 | 3,169 | 1.07 | +141 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 334 places |
| 2020 | #10,909 | 2,789 | 0.93 | -380 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 730 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 Tennison 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 | #10,179 | #10,909 | -7.2% |
| Count | 3,169 | 2,789 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.93 | -12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tennison bearers went from 3,169 to 2,789 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,179 to #10,909.
FAQ
Tennison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tennison?
Name Census estimates that about 3,198 living Americans carry the surname Tennison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,178 residents.
How common is Tennison?
Tennison ranks #10,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,789 people with the surname Tennison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tennison.
Has Tennison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tennison went from 3,169 recorded bearers to 2,789. That is a decrease of 380 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,179 to #10,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Tennison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Tennison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (2,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tennison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.1%), Black (14.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Tennison (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 Tennison mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "farm or settlement of Tenni's people." 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 Tennison (0.93 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 share the surname Tennison?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.