Tankersley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tankersley family

The surname Tankersley was first found in West Riding of Yorkshire at Tankersley, a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. 1

The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Tancreslei 2 and literally meant "woodland clearing of a man called Tata" having derived for the Old English personal name + ing + tun. 3

At that time, the land was held by Richard of Sourdeval and was quite small with 3 villagers and had enough land for 2 ploughs. 2 Roger Tankerlayman was listed as Freeman or York in 1387. 4

Early History of the Tankersley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tankersley research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Tankersley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tankersley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Tankersley include Tankersley, Tankesley, Tankisle, Tankersly, Tankerslie, Tankerslee and many more.

Early Notables of the Tankersley family

More information is included under the topic Early Tankersley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tankersley Ranking

In the United States, the name Tankersley is the 5,356^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5

Tankersley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Tankersley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

F E. Tankersley, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1910
Margaret Tankersley, aged 20, who settled in America from Pittsburgh, Kansas, in 1913
Susie Tankersley, aged 19, who immigrated to Greenwich, Conn., in 1921
J.G. Tankersley, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1921
James Tankersley, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1922

Tankersley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tankersley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas William Tankersley, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Governor

Contemporary Notables of the name Tankersley (post 1700) +

Lawrence William "Leo" Tankersley (1901-1980), American Major League Baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox in 1925
Ruth "Bazy" McCormick Miller Tankersley (1921-2013), nee McCormick, American noted breeder of Arabian horses
Samuel Tankersley, United States Army Lieutenant General
Richie Tankersley (b. 1952), American author
Dennis Lee Tankersley (b. 1979), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 2002 through 2004 for the San Diego Padres
Taylor Mark Tankersley (b. 1983), American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher
Dan Tankersley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1952 6
Bill Tankersley, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1956 6
Richie Tankersley Cusick (b. 1952), American author

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html