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

Townsend, 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 Townsend surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Townsend in America

Townsend is the 483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Townsend surname appeared 69,360 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Townsend.

We can also compare 2010 data for Townsend 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 Townsend

The surname Townsend is of English origin, derived from the words "town" and "send," which together mean "dweller at the town's end." The name first emerged in the 12th century and was initially found in areas such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Townsend surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a William de Tunessende is listed. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the Townsend name, including Roger de Touneshende and John de Tuneshende.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not specifically mention the Townsend surname, but it does include various place names that could have given rise to the name, such as Tunestede and Tunestalle.

Notable individuals bearing the Townsend surname throughout history include:

1. Thomas Townsend (c. 1597-1667), an English colonist who co-founded the town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, in what is now New York.
2. Joseph Townsend (1739-1816), an English clergyman and author best known for his work "A Dissertation on the Poor Laws."
3. Mary Townsend (1789-1863), an English writer and diarist whose diaries provided insights into the social life of the Regency era.
4. George Townsend (1788-1857), an English writer and clergyman who wrote extensively on various subjects, including literature, theology, and travel.
5. Charles Townsend (1725-1767), an English statesman and Chancellor of the Exchequer who introduced the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on the American colonies and contributed to the tensions leading to the American Revolution.

The Townsend surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Townshend in Norfolk, Townsend in Hertfordshire, and Townshend in Dorset. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself, reflecting the locations where early bearers of the name lived or originated from.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Townsend

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

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

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

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