2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tonsor
An occupational surname referring to a hairdresser or barber.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Tonsor. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tonsor 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Tonsor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonsor, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tonsor
The surname Tonsor is an occupational name that originated in medieval England, derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "tonsour," meaning a barber or hair-cutter. This name likely emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century, when surnames began to become hereditary in Europe.
The earliest known record of the name Tonsor dates back to the late 13th century, with a John le Tonsur appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by that time.
During the Middle Ages, barbers played a crucial role in medieval society, not only cutting hair but also performing minor surgical procedures and tooth extractions. As such, the Tonsor name would have been associated with this skilled trade, and those bearing the name were likely members of a respected guild or profession.
One notable early bearer of the name was Robert Tonsor, a barber-surgeon who lived in London in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the Court of Aldermen records from 1384, indicating his standing within the city's guild system.
In the 15th century, the name appeared with various spellings, including Tonsour, Tonsor, and Tonsour, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. For example, a John Tonsour is recorded in the Register of the Gild of the Holy Cross in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1427.
The Tonsor surname also has connections to certain place names in England, such as Tonsover in Staffordshire and Tonsure in Hertfordshire, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have originated from or lived in these areas.
Other notable historical figures with the Tonsor surname include:
1. William Tonsor (c. 1500-1570), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
2. Jacob Tonsor (1655-1736), a Dutch bookseller and publisher who established the famous Tonsor publishing house in Amsterdam.
3. Jacques Tonsor (1701-1768), a French engraver and publisher who continued the Tonsor publishing legacy in Paris.
4. John Tonsor (1715-1797), an English playwright and author, best known for his satirical works.
5. Michael Tonsor (1883-1964), an American historian and political philosopher who taught at the University of Chicago.
While the surname Tonsor is not among the most common surnames today, its history reflects the importance of skilled trades and professions in medieval and early modern Europe, as well as the lasting impact of occupational surnames on our understanding of past societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tonsor
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonsor, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tonsor 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 Tonsor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tonsor
Tonsor 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,351 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,351 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Tonsor 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tonsor bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Tonsor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tonsor?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Tonsor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Tonsor?
Tonsor ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Tonsor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tonsor.
Has Tonsor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tonsor went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Tonsor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonsor, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tonsor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tonsor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Tonsor (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 Tonsor mean?
An occupational surname referring to a hairdresser or barber. 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 Tonsor (0.04 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 have the last name Tonsor?
Find out how many people are called Tonsor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.