Find out how popular the last name Thompkins is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Thompkins.

Thompkins, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Thompkins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thompkins in America

Thompkins is the 5998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thompkins surname appeared 5,732 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Thompkins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thompkins to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Thompkins

The surname Thompkins has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tun" and "mann," meaning "town" and "man," respectively, likely referring to someone who lived in a town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Tonemannes," reflecting its evolution from the Old English words.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname was commonly spelled as "Touneman" or "Towneman," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling at the time. As time progressed, the spelling evolved to its more modern form, "Thompkins."

Notable historical figures with the surname Thompkins include Sir William Thompkins (1542-1609), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London during the Elizabethan era. Another noteworthy individual was John Thompkins (1660-1728), an influential Quaker leader and writer who played a significant role in the early history of Pennsylvania.

In the literary world, the name is associated with the poet and essayist William Thompkins (1714-1788), whose works often explored themes of nature and the human condition. His contemporary, Mary Thompkins (1730-1799), was a renowned botanist and author of several influential books on plant life.

The 18th century also saw the rise of Sir Robert Thompkins (1765-1834), a prominent British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars, earning numerous honors and accolades for his bravery and leadership.

Throughout its history, the surname Thompkins has been associated with various locations and place names, reflecting the migrations and settlements of its bearers. Some examples include the village of Thompkins Green in Oxfordshire and the town of Thompkinston in Wiltshire, both of which likely derived their names from early Thompkins residents or landowners.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thompkins

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Thompkins.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Thompkins was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Thompkins has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Thompkins was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Thompkins, please contact us.

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