2000
#9,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Tunnell
An occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a tunnel or underground passageway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,358 Americans carry the last name Tunnell. That puts it at #10,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,071 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tunnell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tunnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 102,071
Census rank
#10,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,928 bearers of the surname Tunnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tunnell
The surname Tunnell originated in England during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "tunnelman," which referred to a person who lived or worked near a tunnel or underground passage. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century, when it was spelled as "Tunnelle" or "Tunnele."
In medieval times, tunnels were often used for mining, transportation, or defensive purposes. The Tunnell surname may have been adopted by individuals who worked as miners, tunnel builders, or lived near such structures. It is also possible that the name was initially a descriptive nickname given to someone who resided near a particular tunnel or underground passage in a specific locality.
One of the earliest known references to the Tunnell surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1273, where a person named "John Tunnelle" is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence in northern England during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Tunnell," "Tunnel," and "Tunnyll." For instance, a John Tunnyll was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, indicating the surname's presence in the West Midlands region.
Notable individuals with the Tunnell surname throughout history include:
1. Robert Tunnell (c. 1592-1654), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk.
2. John Tunnell (1738-1828), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in Kentucky.
3. Ebenezer Tunnell (1799-1875), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Ohio Senate.
4. Garland Tunnell (1915-1999), an American actor and comedian best known for his appearances in films and television shows in the 1950s and 1960s.
5. Emlen Tunnell (1925-1975), an American professional football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history.
The Tunnell surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Tunnell Hill in West Virginia and Tunnell Creek in Ohio, which may have derived their names from early settlers bearing the Tunnell surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tunnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Tunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tunnell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tunnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 2,387
- Black or African American7.1% · 207
- Two or more races5.8% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tunnell
Tunnell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,362
+247 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#10,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,928
-434 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,574 | 3,115 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,652 | 3,362 | 1.14 | +247 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #10,465 | 2,928 | 0.98 | -434 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 813 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tunnell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,652 | #10,465 | -8.4% |
| Count | 3,362 | 2,928 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 0.98 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tunnell bearers went from 3,362 to 2,928 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 813 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,652 to #10,465.
FAQ
Tunnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tunnell?
Name Census estimates that about 3,358 living Americans carry the surname Tunnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,071 residents.
How common is Tunnell?
Tunnell ranks #10,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,928 people with the surname Tunnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,358), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tunnell.
Has Tunnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tunnell went from 3,362 recorded bearers to 2,928. That is a decrease of 434 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,652 to #10,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Tunnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tunnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tunnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (2,387 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tunnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (5.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tunnell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tunnell mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked in a tunnel or underground passageway. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tunnell (0.98 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Tunnell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.