2000
#7,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Tessier
A French occupational surname referring to a weaver or cloth maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,533 Americans carry the last name Tessier. That puts it at #8,040 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,613 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tessier 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 Tessier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,613
Census rank
#8,040
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,953 bearers of the surname Tessier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8040th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tessier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tessier
The surname Tessier originates from France and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "teissier," which means a weaver or cloth maker. The name is believed to have first appeared in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where the textile industry was prominent during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tessier can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named Robert le Teissier, who held estates in Lincolnshire, England.
In the 13th century, a branch of the Tessier family settled in the village of Tessières, located in the Sarthe department of northwestern France. This place name is likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the family's prominence in the area.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, several notable individuals bearing the name Tessier emerged. One such person was Jean Tessier (c. 1330-1395), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Paris and played a significant role in the Western Schism.
Another prominent figure was Gilles Tessier (c. 1480-1550), a French lawyer and jurist who served as the President of the Parlement of Paris, one of the highest judicial positions in the kingdom at the time.
In the 16th century, the Tessier family produced several accomplished artists and writers. One of the most notable was Guillaume Tessier (c. 1520-1590), a poet and humanist who was part of the renowned Pléiade literary group. His contemporaries included prominent figures such as Pierre de Ronsard and Joachim du Bellay.
During the 17th century, the Tessier name gained prominence in the field of medicine. Jean Tessier (1597-1671) was a celebrated French physician and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of the human body. He was appointed as the personal physician to King Louis XIII and later served as the dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Paris.
Throughout history, the surname Tessier has been associated with various professions, from weavers and artists to scholars and jurists. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in France, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse journeys and achievements of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tessier
Among Census respondents with the surname Tessier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tessier 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 Tessier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 3,420
- Black or African American4.3% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 170
- Two or more races3.3% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tessier
Tessier 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
#7,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,394
+287 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 87 places
2020
#8,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,953
-441 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,476 | 4,107 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,563 | 4,394 | 1.49 | +287 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 87 places |
| 2020 | #8,040 | 3,953 | 1.32 | -441 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 477 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 Tessier 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 | #7,563 | #8,040 | -6.3% |
| Count | 4,394 | 3,953 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.32 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tessier bearers went from 4,394 to 3,953 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 477 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,563 to #8,040.
FAQ
Tessier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tessier?
Name Census estimates that about 4,533 living Americans carry the surname Tessier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,613 residents.
How common is Tessier?
Tessier ranks #8,040 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.32 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 3,953 people with the surname Tessier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.32 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 Tessier.
Has Tessier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tessier went from 4,394 recorded bearers to 3,953. That is a decrease of 441 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,563 to #8,040.
What does the Census say about the background of Tessier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tessier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Tessier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (3,420 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tessier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (4.3%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Tessier (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 Tessier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a weaver or cloth maker. 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 Tessier (1.32 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 are called Tessier?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Tessier, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.