2000
#6,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,274
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Thompkins
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "son of Thomas" or "descendant of Thomas."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,487 Americans carry the last name Thompkins. That puts it at #5,875 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thompkins surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thompkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 52,837
Census rank
#5,875
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,657 bearers of the surname Thompkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5875th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.8%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thompkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.8%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Thompkins bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Thompkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American67.8% · 3,835
- White21.2% · 1,202
- Two or more races6.6% · 371
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thompkins
Thompkins appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,732
+458 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Up 10 places
2020
#5,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,657
-75 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Up 123 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,008 | 5,274 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,998 | 5,732 | 1.94 | +458 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 10 places |
| 2020 | #5,875 | 5,657 | 1.89 | -75 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 123 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Thompkins surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,998 | #5,875 | 2.1% |
| Count | 5,732 | 5,657 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.89 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thompkins bearers went from 5,732 to 5,657 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 123 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,998 to #5,875.
FAQ
Thompkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thompkins?
Name Census estimates that about 6,487 living Americans carry the surname Thompkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,837 residents.
How common is Thompkins?
Thompkins ranks #5,875 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,657 people with the surname Thompkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,487), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Thompkins.
Has Thompkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thompkins went from 5,732 recorded bearers to 5,657. That is a decrease of 75 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,998 to #5,875.
What does the Census say about the background of Thompkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.8%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thompkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (3,835 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thompkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (67.8%), White (21.2%), Two or More Races (6.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Thompkins (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Thompkins mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "son of Thomas" or "descendant of Thomas." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Thompkins (1.89 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Thompkins?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Thompkins is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.