"In Tankersley, Leofwine had one manor of one and a half carucates taxable. The whole manor, one and a half leagues long, and one wide. Value before 1066 twenty shillings, now seven shillings."   Domesday Book...1086.

The English Surname Tankersley is of locative origin, deriving from the name of the place where the initial bearer once lived or held land, thus affording him a suitable means of identity in his local community. In this instance the place called Tankersley in the county of Yorkshire appears to have been the original home for this name. The place name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, when detailing the lands and holdings of the Count of Mortain. The term "carucates" in the caption was a medieval land measurement approximating one hundred twenty acres each. The fashion of adding surnames began in Britain in the thirteenth century, when it had become necessary to be able to distinguish reliably between individuals for many reasons. A number of methods evolved including this one, the locative.

Among the early written referrences to the name or a variant form we read of one called Roger Tankerlayman who was made a Freeman of the City of York, in the year of 1387. The surname has ramified strongly in America appearing in the listings of pensioners of the Indian wars in 1892-1926.

Blazon of Arms: Gules, two bars between nine martlets argent, three, three, and three.
Translation: Gules (red) denotes Military Fortitude; argent (silver) depicts Peace and Sincerity; the martlets symbolize one who subsists on the Wings of Virtue and Merit.
Crest: A demi lion rampant gules.
Origin: England

Verification of authenticity, hereby affixed with the signature of our researcher on this day, August 13, 1992
Registration Number: 201044

The History Research Center
797 S. Juanita St., Hemet, Ca. 92543