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

Tuffs, 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 Tuffs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tuffs in America

Tuffs is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tuffs surname appeared 170 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 Tuffs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tuffs 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 Tuffs

The surname Tuffs is of English origin, deriving from an ancient medieval word meaning "a clump or tuft of grass." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, likely referring to a person who lived near a prominent tuft of grass or had a distinctive tuft of hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One of the earliest documented examples is found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, which mentions a Hugo Tufft.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Tufft, Tuft, and Tuff, reflecting the phonetic variations common in medieval record-keeping. A notable figure from this period was John Tufft, a landowner in Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1367.

The Tuffs surname is also associated with several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. For instance, the village of Tufton in Nottinghamshire is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "tuft" and "tun," meaning "tuft settlement."

During the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with individuals like William Tuffs (1520-1587), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London. Another notable figure was Richard Tuffs (1558-1631), a respected lawyer and Member of Parliament for Taunton during the reign of King James I.

In the 17th century, the Tuffs family established itself as a prominent landholding family in the county of Dorset. One of the most renowned members was Sir John Tuffs (1620-1685), a knight and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War.

Other historical figures bearing the Tuffs surname include Thomas Tuffs (1705-1778), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London, and Mary Tuffs (1745-1821), a philanthropist and benefactor known for her charitable works in the city of Bristol.

Throughout its history, the Tuffs surname has been represented across various professions, from merchants and lawyers to architects and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tuffs

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

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

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

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