Explore the Family Name Tennant
The meaning of Tennant
Scottish and English: status name for a farmer who held his land from an overlord by obligations of rent or service, from Middle English tena(u)nt ‘tenant’ (Old French tenant). This was the normal situation for landholders in the Middle Ages, since in the feudal system all land belonged ultimately to the king and use of it was granted in return for financial or military support.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tennant in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Tennant saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Tennant was ranked as the 3,930th most popular surname in the United States, but slipped to the 4,085th position by 2010, representing a 3.94% decrease. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 8,304 to 8,693 during this period, showing a 4.68% growth rate. Nevertheless, its proportion per 100,000 people witnessed a slight dip, dropping by 4.22% over a decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,930 | #4,085 | -3.94% |
| Count | 8,304 | 8,693 | 4.68% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.08 | 2.95 | -4.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tennant
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census demonstrates that there has been a subtle shift within the Tennant surname holders between 2000 and 2010. The majority identified as White, although this percentage fell slightly from 90.51% to 87.96%. The number identifying as Hispanic showed the most significant increase, jumping by 72.81% to reach 1.97% of Tennants. Meanwhile, Asian/Pacific Islander Tennants also grew by 33.33%, though they make up just 0.60% of all Tennants. Additionally, those identifying as Black rose from 6.38% to 7.58%, and those reporting two or more races increased from 1.16% to 1.53%. American Indian and Alaskan Native Tennants remained relatively stable, seeing a minor increase of 2.78%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.51% | 87.96% | -2.82% |
| Black | 6.38% | 7.58% | 18.81% |
| Hispanic | 1.14% | 1.97% | 72.81% |
| Two or More Races | 1.16% | 1.53% | 31.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.6% | 33.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.37% | 2.78% |
Tennant ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Tennant is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.6%) and Scandinavian (5.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 25.6% |
| Scandinavian | 5.4% |
| Other | 15.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Tennant
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Tennant have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
What Tennant haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Tennant is I-L233, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L233 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z159 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Woolley, Newell, Middleton, Wills, Ball, Lowe, Logan, Lindsay, Henderson, Glover.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Tennant surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Tennant have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Tennant" Surname 40.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Tennant" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Tennant" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Tennant" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Tennant?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Tennant are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition