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

Tunstall, 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 Tunstall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tunstall in America

Tunstall is the 8527th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tunstall surname appeared 3,859 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 Tunstall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tunstall 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 Tunstall

The surname Tunstall is of English origin, derived from various place names in Lancashire and Staffordshire. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century, derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning an enclosure or farm, and "stallu" meaning a wooded area or a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tunstall" in reference to landholdings in Staffordshire. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname Tunstall was found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals with the name in Lancashire and Staffordshire. The spelling variations included "Tunstall," "Tunstalle," and "Tonestalle."

Notable individuals with the surname Tunstall include Sir Thomas Tunstall (c.1475-1556), an English Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of London and Bishop of Durham. Another prominent figure was Cuthbert Tunstall (c.1474-1559), an English scholar, diplomat, and Bishop of Durham, known for his role in the English Reformation.

In the 16th century, William Tunstall (c.1520-1554) was an English Roman Catholic priest who was martyred during the reign of Queen Mary I for his Protestant beliefs. Francis Tunstall (c.1555-1616) was an English Roman Catholic priest and scholar, known for his work on ecclesiastical history.

During the 17th century, James Tunstall (1616-1670) was an English Anglican clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St John's College, Cambridge. He played a significant role in the university's affairs during the English Civil War.

Throughout history, the surname Tunstall has been associated with various place names, such as Tunstall in Lancashire, Tunstall in Staffordshire, and Tunstall in Kent. These place names likely contributed to the widespread use and distribution of the surname across different regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tunstall

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

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

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

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