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

Tufts, 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 Tufts surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tufts in America

Tufts is the 11420th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tufts surname appeared 2,759 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tufts.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tufts 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 Tufts

The surname Tufts is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tuft," which referred to a clump or thicket of grass, bushes, or trees growing on a hilltop or elevated area of land.

The name likely originated as a topographic surname, describing a person who lived near or on a hillock or mound covered with tufts of vegetation. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, which mentioned a William Tuft.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 as Tuftys. This indicates the development of the surname from its original topographic meaning to a hereditary family name.

The Tufts surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Tufton in Berkshire and Tufton in Hampshire. These locations may have derived their names from the same Old English word "tuft," suggesting that the surname could have originated from these areas.

One notable individual with the Tufts surname was Sir William Tufton (1616-1675), a member of the English gentry and a Royalist during the English Civil War. He fought for King Charles I and was knighted for his loyalty in 1644.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Tufts (1644-1724), a wealthy merchant and landowner in colonial Massachusetts. He donated a significant portion of his estate to establish Tufts College, now known as Tufts University, in 1852.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Tufts surname. However, it does mention several places with names derived from the Old English word "tuft," suggesting the topographic origins of the name.

Other notable individuals bearing the Tufts surname include John Tufts (1689-1750), a colonial American merchant and politician; Charles Tufts (1781-1876), a British naval officer and explorer; and Edward Tufts (1809-1886), an American inventor and engineer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tufts

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

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

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

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