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

Tousley, 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 Tousley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tousley in America

Tousley is the 31033rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tousley surname appeared 748 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 Tousley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tousley 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 Tousley

The surname Tousley has its origins in England, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a town or village in the county of Yorkshire. One theory suggests that the name is a variation of the Old English word "tus," meaning a clump or tuft, possibly referring to a distinctive geographical feature or vegetation in the area where the name originated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Tousell, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern Tousley surname.

During the 13th century, records show a Robertus de Touseley residing in the village of Touseley, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This place name, with its similarity to the surname, lends credence to the theory that Tousley originated as a locational name.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John Tousley (c. 1420-1489), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Beverley in East Yorkshire. His family's coat of arms featured three tufts or clumps, possibly linking to the proposed etymology of the name.

The 16th century saw the birth of William Tousley (1542-1615), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire. His writings on religious doctrine and philosophy were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the late 17th century, the Tousley family extended its reach to the American colonies, with Thomas Tousley (1670-1738) settling in Pennsylvania as one of the earliest recorded immigrants bearing the surname.

Another notable figure was Sir Richard Tousley (1795-1872), a British military officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of the Bahamas from 1849 to 1854.

The 19th century saw the birth of Emily Tousley (1832-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the state of New York and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tousley

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

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

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

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