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

Tunkara, 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 Tunkara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tunkara in America

Tunkara is the 50467th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tunkara surname appeared 414 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 Tunkara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tunkara 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 Tunkara

The surname Tunkara originates from the West African nation of Senegal, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Mandinka language spoken by the Mandinka ethnic group, which historically inhabited the Gambia River region of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau.

The name Tunkara is thought to be rooted in the Mandinka word "tunkara," which means "trader" or "merchant." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in commercial activities, particularly in the trade of goods along the Gambia River and its surrounding areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tunkara can be found in a historical document from the 16th century, which mentions a prominent Mandinka trader named Tunkara Jalo. This individual is believed to have played a significant role in the regional trade networks of that era, facilitating the exchange of goods between coastal regions and inland territories.

In the 18th century, the Tunkara surname gained further prominence when a Mandinka leader named Mussa Tunkara rose to power in the Kingdom of Kaabu, located in present-day Guinea-Bissau. Mussa Tunkara was instrumental in establishing a centralized government and promoting economic growth within the region.

Another notable figure bearing the Tunkara surname was Samori Tunkara, a celebrated military leader and founder of the Wassoulou Empire in the late 19th century. Samori Tunkara, born in 1830, was renowned for his resistance against French colonial expansion in West Africa and for his efforts to unite various ethnic groups under his rule.

In the early 20th century, a prominent Gambian politician and activist named Edward Francis Tunkara (1885-1965) played a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of the Gambian people during the British colonial period. His legacy contributed significantly to the eventual independence of Gambia in 1965.

Furthermore, the Tunkara surname has also been associated with several notable literary figures, including the Gambian writer and poet Lenrie Peters Tunkara (1938-2020), whose works explored themes of identity, culture, and social issues in West Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tunkara

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

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

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

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