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

Tuft, 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 Tuft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tuft in America

Tuft is the 29309th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tuft surname appeared 807 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 Tuft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tuft 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 Tuft

The surname "Tuft" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tuft," which referred to a clump or thicket of grass or vegetation. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or worked in an area with dense vegetation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1221, which mentions a person named "Willelmus Tuft." The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 also includes a reference to a "Johannes Tuft."

The Tuft name has been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Toft in Cambridgeshire, Toft in Norfolk, and Toft in Lincolnshire. These place names share a similar etymology, deriving from the Old English word "toft," which meant a homestead or a piece of land where a house stood.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a "Johannes Tuft" is listed. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332 also mention a "Willelmus Tufte."

One notable individual who bore the Tuft surname was Sir William Tuft (c. 1615-1686), an English politician and military officer who served as a Member of Parliament for Devizes during the reign of Charles II.

Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Tufton (1613-1663), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maidstone and held the position of Recorder of Canterbury.

In the literary world, Nicholas Tufton (1578-1631) was an English translator and writer who published works such as "The Encounter of Two Religions" and "The New Pilgrims Progress."

A historical figure of note was John Tufton, 2nd Earl of Thanet (1609-1664), an English nobleman and royalist who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War.

Finally, Sir John Tufton, 2nd Baronet (c. 1585-1624), was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Maidstone and held the position of High Sheriff of Kent.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the Tuft surname in English history, spanning various fields and social strata.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tuft

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

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

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

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