The surname Tinker, originally an occupational surname for a "mender of pots and pans", may refer to: People: Carson Tinker, American National Football League long snapper Clarence L. Tinker, first Native American major general Frank Glasgow Tinker, American mercenary pilot and top American ace in the Spanish Civil War Grant Tinker, former chairman and CEO of the NBC television network, co-founder of MTM Enterprises and former husband of Mary Tyler Moore Gerald Tinker, American former track and field runner and National Football League player HP Tinker, British short story writer Irene Tinker, American Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley Jack Tinker, English theatre critic Joe Tinker, American Hall-of-Fame Major League Baseball player John Tinker Mark Tinker, American television producer and director Miles Tinker, American author and professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Ronald Tinker, New Zealand World War II officer Thomas Tinker Wikipedia