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

Tennity, 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 Tennity surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tennity in America

Tennity is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tennity surname appeared 102 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 Tennity.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tennity 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 Tennity

The surname Tennity is believed to originate from the Gaelic territories of Ireland, specifically the western regions, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "teinne," meaning "fire" or "spark," potentially referring to an occupation or trait associated with the original bearer of the name.

Early records show variations in the spelling, such as Tinnity, Tynity, and Tinnitie, which were common before standardized spellings became more widespread. The name is mentioned in ancient Irish manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Tennity was Seán Tennity, born in County Galway in the late 15th century. He was a notable chieftain and landowner in the region. Another early bearer of the name was Domhnall Tennity, a scholar and scribe who lived in County Mayo in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records related to the Irish Rebellion of 1641, with several Tennity families mentioned as being involved in the conflict. One notable figure was Cormac Tennity, born in County Sligo in 1628, who fought alongside the Irish Confederate forces during the rebellion.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Tennity families emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, often due to the Great Famine and political upheavals. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Tennity families settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century.

Notable individuals with the Tennity surname include:

1. Patrick Tennity (1785-1864), an Irish-American businessman and landowner who settled in Kentucky.
2. Mary Tennity (1832-1911), an Irish immigrant to Australia and pioneering settler in South Australia.
3. John Tennity (1870-1942), an Irish-American labor activist and union organizer in the coal mining industry.
4. Eileen Tennity (1898-1976), an Irish-born American writer and poet known for her works exploring Irish-American identity.
5. Michael Tennity (1936-2018), an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Throughout its history, the surname Tennity has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, while also spreading to various parts of the world through emigration and the diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tennity

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

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

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

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