Tanksley
An English-language surname most likely built from a place name ending in -ley, meaning a clearing or meadow.
The #9,747 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,856 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tanksley is most likely a locational surname formed from an English place name. The final element -ley comes from Old English leah, meaning a clearing, wood, or meadow. The first element is less certain; it may preserve an old personal name or another local feature name now lost or obscure, so the surname’s exact literal meaning is uncertain.
History
Surnames of this type usually began as identifiers for people who came from, lived near, or were connected with a small settlement or farm. Tanksley is found as a modern English-language surname, especially in the United States, and likely reflects the survival of a relatively rare English place-based name. Because the underlying place-name element is obscure, the surname’s early history is not fully secure.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -ley ending is one of the most common clues that a surname began as a place name tied to a clearing or meadow.