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

Tessay, 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 Tessay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tessay in America

Tessay is the 89753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tessay surname appeared 206 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 Tessay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tessay 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 Tessay

The surname TESSAY has its origins in the French region of Normandy, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "teissier," which referred to a weaver or cloth-maker. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records from the towns of Rouen and Caen.

In the 13th century, a branch of the TESSAY family settled in the English county of Kent, where the name evolved into various spellings such as Tesseye, Tessey, and Teasey. One of the earliest known bearers of this English variation was William Tesseye, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1273.

The TESSAY name appears to have spread throughout parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, possibly due to the movement of weavers and textile workers. In Germany, the name was recorded as Teschay or Teschauer, while in Italy, it took the form of Tessari or Tessaroli.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the TESSAY name was Sir John Tessay, a 14th-century English soldier and landowner. He fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield. His family's coat of arms featured a weaver's shuttle, a nod to the name's occupational origins.

Another prominent individual was Marguerite Tessay, a French noblewoman who lived in the 16th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of Renaissance poets and writers. Her husband, Jean Tessay, was a respected lawyer and advisor to the French monarchy.

In the 17th century, a TESSAY family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was recorded as Tesseij or Tessij. One member of this branch, Pieter Tesseij, was a renowned artist and engraver who created intricate illustrations for books and maps.

The 18th century saw the migration of some TESSAY families to the American colonies. One such individual was James Tessay, who was born in England in 1723 and later settled in Virginia. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and is recorded as a landowner in the 1790 census.

Throughout the 19th century, the TESSAY name continued to be found in various parts of Europe and North America. Notable individuals from this period include the French writer and philosopher Émile Tessay (1824-1892) and the American businessman and philanthropist William Tessay (1839-1911).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tessay

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

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

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

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