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Tennant Family History

Tennant Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Tennant family from?

You can see how Tennant families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tennant family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tennant families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 463 Tennant families living in Yorkshire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Tennant's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Tennant families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tennant surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tennant ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Tennant. 8% of Tennant men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Tennant women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tennant were Coal Hewer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Tennant | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    4%
  • Coal Hewer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Tennant family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 95,000 census records available for the last name Tennant. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tennant census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tennant

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Tennant. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tennant immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Tennant. For the veterans among your Tennant ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tennant military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tennant family history

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What is the average Tennant lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Tennant life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Tennant in 1945 was 26, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tennant

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tennant ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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