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

Tune, 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 Tune surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tune in America

Tune is the 14058th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tune surname appeared 2,142 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 Tune.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tune 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 Tune

The surname TUNE is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a musician or a tuner of musical instruments.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 13th century, where it appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire as "Tun." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning a town or a village.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Tune," "Toun," and "Tovne," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a "Thomas Tune," which is one of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling.

During the 15th century, the name TUNE started to gain prominence, particularly in the southern counties of England. The Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1524 list a "John Tune," and the Parish Registers of Gloucestershire from 1571 include a "William Tune."

One notable bearer of the surname TUNE was Sir John Tune (1534-1592), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name TUNE appeared in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax Returns of Buckinghamshire from 1664, which mentioned a "Nathaniel Tune." Around this time, the surname also started to appear in Scotland, with records showing a "Robert Tune" in Glasgow in 1684.

Another notable figure was Thomas Tune (1638-1701), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

In the 18th century, the TUNE surname continued to spread across England and Scotland. The Parish Registers of Yorkshire from 1705 recorded a "John Tune," while the Monumental Inscriptions of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, from 1792 listed a "Margaret Tune."

One of the most prominent figures with the surname TUNE during this period was Sir Samuel Tune (1725-1798), a British naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's North American Station during the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries progressed, the TUNE surname continued to be found in various regions of the United Kingdom, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including politics, religion, and the military.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tune

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

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

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

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