2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tounzen
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "two forts" or "twin forts".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Tounzen. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tounzen 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Tounzen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tounzen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tounzen
The surname TOUNZEN is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, likely arising in the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "tonneau," which means "barrel" or "cask," possibly indicating an association with a trade or occupation involving the production or transportation of these items.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the TOUNZEN name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Bertin, a collection of charters and documents from the Abbey of Saint-Bertin in Saint-Omer, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears as "Tounzen" in reference to a landowner or tenant in the region.
In the 14th century, a record from the Duchy of Burgundy mentions a certain Guillaume TOUNZEN, who was a prominent merchant involved in the wine trade. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the wine industry and the transportation of wine barrels during that time.
Another notable figure bearing the TOUNZEN name was Jean TOUNZEN, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was born in the late 14th century and is documented as having participated in several battles, including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
During the Renaissance period, a family of TOUNZEN artisans and woodworkers rose to prominence in the city of Lyon, France. Their workshops were known for producing intricate wooden barrels and casks for the local wine industry. One of the most renowned members of this family was Pierre TOUNZEN, who lived from 1520 to 1592 and was celebrated for his exceptional craftsmanship.
In the 17th century, a branch of the TOUNZEN family emigrated to the Dutch Republic, where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders in the city of Amsterdam. One of their descendants, Pieter TOUNZEN (1655-1718), became a prominent figure in the Dutch East India Company and was involved in the spice trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies.
While the TOUNZEN name has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including other European countries, North America, and beyond, as families migrated and established new lives in different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tounzen
Among Census respondents with the surname Tounzen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tounzen 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 Tounzen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 96
- Two or more races9.0% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tounzen
Tounzen 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,524 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 16,524 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,221 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 Tounzen 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 | #138,304 | #140,525 | -1.6% |
| Count | 121 | 122 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tounzen bearers went from 121 to 122 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,221 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #140,525.
FAQ
Tounzen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tounzen?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Tounzen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Tounzen?
Tounzen ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Tounzen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Tounzen.
Has Tounzen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tounzen went from 121 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Tounzen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tounzen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.0%) and Hispanic (7.4%). 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 Tounzen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tounzen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Two or More Races (9.0%), Hispanic (7.4%). 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 Tounzen (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 Tounzen mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "two forts" or "twin forts". 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 Tounzen (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 common is the surname Tounzen?
See how many people have the last name Tounzen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.