Surname Tunnel - Meaning and Origin

Tunnel: What does the surname Tunnel mean?

The last name Tunnel is most likely of French origin, coming from the Medieval Middle French "tonnelle," which means "arbor, arbor with a canvas top, tent, pavilion, or tabernacle." The surname Tunnel likely therefore refers to someone who made, pitched, or otherwise constructed these structures.

Historically, there are records of a French family of the name Tunnel in the region of Bresse in the 12th century, indicating that the origin of the surname Tunnel is likely French. Records also show that there were several branches of the Tunnel family in the region of France, including several in Tournon in the 16th century.

In the English language, Tunnell is an alternate form of the French name. This spelling is more prevalent in the United States, likely stemming from the many French immigrants who arrived in the country during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early 20th century, numerous use of this spelling of the name were found in the Midwestern United States.

Today, the last name Tunnel can be found in different countries and cultures across the world. It is still most commonly found in France, but is also present in other countries of French heritage, including Canada, Luxembourg, and Belgium. The Tunnel last name is also found in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

Tunnel: Where does the name Tunnel come from?

The Tunnel surname is relatively uncommon around the world today. It is mainly found in the United Kingdom, particularly in England. The largest concentration of people with the Tunnel surname is in London, with smaller numbers located in other larger British cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. It is also likely to be found in nearby countries such as Ireland, as well as other parts of Western Europe, like France and Germany.

Tunnel is also occasionally found in the United States. Most of these are likely to be descendants of emigrants who left England and other parts of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There may also be a handful found in Australia and Canada.

However, despite its widespread circulation, the Tunnel name is not particularly common today. It is not featured in most published surname databases, and it is not regularly seen on modern birth certificates. The rare amount of Tunnels today suggests that the surname could potentially be considered "endangered."

Variations of the surname Tunnel

Tunnel is an English surname derived from the Old French word tonnel, meaning a wine cask or barrel or derived from the Old French tunel, meaning a small tunnel, or a dyke or dike. Variants of the Tunnel surname exist in many forms such as Tunnell, Tonnel, and Tunaley.

Spellings of the surname Tunnel include Tunnell, Tinnell, Tynnel, Tunaley, Tunall, Tinalle, Tunell, Tunel, Tynel, Tyneall, Tonnel, Tonall, Tonnelay, Tonnalay, Tinnelay, Tonale, and Tonnal.

Surnames with the same origin include Tunley, Tunlee, Tynley, Tunleigh, Tonley, Tonleigh, Tonlea, Tonleah, Tonlee, Tonlea, Tunlee, Tynelee, Tynlee, Tunly, Tunlye, Tynlye, Moreby, Morby, Morbey, Mowrey, and Mourey.

Tunnel is also found as a Jewish surname; typically individuals of this surname originated from Eastern Europe or German-speaking countries, such as Austria, Germany, and Poland; variants include Tunel, Tanel, Tanele, and Tele. The Jewish surname is often written with the patronymic prefix of ben, such as Ben-Tunel or Ben-Tele.

In Scotland, the surname Tunnel can also be found with the variant spelling Tunnis. This particular variant is thought to come the Vikings who introduced their own way of spelling and pronouncing certain names, such as Tunnel to Tunnis.

The Tunnel surname has also been anglicized when arriving in the United States of America, most likely due to immigration and Ellis Island officials assuming the foreign name could not be pronounced or written correctly in their native language. Examples of anglicized Tunnel surnames include Tonel, Tonelay, Tona, Tonaia, Tinley, Tenley, and Tunlee.

Famous people with the name Tunnel

• Thomas Tuenkel– an American professional golfer who competed on the PGA Tour.
• Ronald Tunnell– former professional American football player.
• Daniel Tunnell– American tennis player who competed in the doubles event of the 1911 U.S. Open with Raymond Little.
• John Tunnell– an American professional pool player and five time world champion.
• Maria Tunnell– an American tennis player who competed in many tournaments within the United States in the 1950s.
• J. Buller Tunnell– British classical scholar, librarian, and bibliographer who specialized in Italian promotion of the Renaissance.
• Jane Tunnell– an American lightweight rower at the 1983 Pan American Games.
• Jerry Tunnell– American professional wrestler in the NWA Mid-Atlantic in the late 1970s.
• Maria Petz Tunnell– Canadian-born Swedish pianist and composer.
• Taylor Tunnell– high school football coach, currently the head coach at Springtown High School in Texas.

Other surnames

Tunnell