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

Tentis, 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 Tentis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tentis in America

Tentis is the 111988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tentis surname appeared 157 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 Tentis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tentis 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 Tentis

The surname Tentis has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "tenta," which means "tent" or "shelter." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived or worked in tents or provided temporary lodging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tentis name can be found in the Venetian archives, where a merchant named Giovanni Tentis was mentioned in a trade document from 1542. This suggests that the name was already established in the Venetian region during that time period.

In the 17th century, the Tentis name appeared in various records from the Tuscany region of Italy. A notable figure was Marcello Tentis (1622-1690), a renowned painter and fresco artist who was commissioned to decorate several churches and palaces in Florence and its surrounding areas.

The name Tentis also has a connection to the island of Sardinia, where it is believed to have originated from the village of Tentis, a small community located in the province of Oristano. Records from the 18th century mention a family of landowners and farmers with the surname Tentis residing in this area.

In the 19th century, the Tentis name gained prominence in the city of Naples. Antonio Tentis (1815-1888) was a respected lawyer and judge who played a significant role in the legal reforms of the Neapolitan region during the Risorgimento period.

Another notable figure was Maria Tentis (1876-1942), a pioneering feminist and activist from Sicily, who fought for women's rights and education during a time when such causes were often met with resistance.

While the Tentis surname is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including artists, professionals, and landowners, primarily concentrated in the regions of Italy where the name originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tentis

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tentis, 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!