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

Tunley, 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 Tunley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tunley in America

Tunley is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tunley surname appeared 167 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 Tunley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tunley 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 Tunley

The surname "TUNLEY" is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning an enclosure or village, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in or near a village surrounded by woodland clearings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tunleia". This reference suggests that the surname was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the 13th century, the name was often spelled as "Tunley" or "Tunleye", reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. In the 14th century, records show variations such as "Tunleigh" and "Tunleigh".

The surname "TUNLEY" is also associated with several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, where villages called Tunley or Tunley Hill existed. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.

One notable individual with this surname was Sir Thomas Tunley (c. 1530 - 1597), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another historical figure was John Tunley (c. 1560 - 1620), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal under King James I.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the Reverend Richard Tunley (1708 - 1786), an English clergyman and author who published several theological works.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Thomas Tunley (1820 - 1892), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

Finally, one of the more recent individuals with this surname was Alfred Tunley (1888 - 1972), a British illustrator and author who was known for his children's books and nature illustrations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tunley

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

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

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

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