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

Tensley, 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 Tensley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tensley in America

Tensley is the 47429th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tensley surname appeared 447 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 Tensley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tensley 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 Tensley

The surname Tensley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the region of Yorkshire or Lancashire. It is thought to be derived from an old English place name, possibly a combination of the Old English words "ten" meaning ten, and "ley" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests the name may have referred to a clearing or meadow belonging to someone with the name Ten or a similar name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tensley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a Robert de Tenesley is mentioned. The prefix "de" in this instance indicates the name was originally a locational surname, referring to the place the person was from.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire mention a William de Teneslay, further evidence of the name's early use and potential connection to place names in northern England.

The Tensley surname does not appear to be referenced in major historical records like the Domesday Book, suggesting it may have emerged or become more widespread after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Notable individuals with the surname Tensley throughout history include:

• Sir John Tensley (c. 1420 - 1492), an English knight and landowner from Yorkshire who fought in the Wars of the Roses.

• Richard Tensley (1556 - 1615), a English merchant and explorer who was part of an expedition to the West Indies in the late 16th century.

• Mary Tensley (1630 - 1692), one of the accused during the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts, though she was eventually found not guilty.

• William Tensley (1718 - 1801), a British soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of Parliament.

• Elizabeth Tensley (1845 - 1923), an English author and poet who wrote several novels and collections of poetry in the late 19th century.

While the Tensley surname is not among the most common surnames today, it has a long and intriguing history rooted in the place names and language of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tensley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!