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

Toma, 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 Toma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toma in America

Toma is the 7558th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toma surname appeared 4,399 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Toma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toma 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 Toma

The surname TOMA has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "toma," which refers to a type of cheese, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone involved in the production or trade of this particular cheese.

In the late 14th century, the name TOMA appeared in various Italian records, including the census records of the town of Montalcino in Tuscany. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Domenico Toma, a cheesemaker from the village of Pienza, whose birth year is estimated to be around 1370.

The TOMA surname can also be traced back to the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, where it is thought to have originated from the place name "Toma," a small village located near the city of Cuneo. This connection to a specific location further strengthens the theory that the name was initially associated with a particular geographic area.

Throughout the centuries, the TOMA surname has been documented in various historical records and manuscripts. One notable example is the inclusion of the name in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

Among the notable individuals who bore the TOMA surname throughout history are:

1. Matteo Toma (1502-1572), an Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of cartography.
2. Giovanni Battista Toma (1670-1737), an Italian painter and architect known for his work in the Baroque style.
3. Francesco Toma (1802-1876), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice in the Kingdom of Sardinia.
4. Vincenzo Toma (1870-1945), an Italian composer and conductor who composed several operas and orchestral works.
5. Elisa Toma (1910-1993), an Italian writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

While the TOMA surname may have evolved and spread to other parts of the world over time, its roots can be traced back to the Italian peninsula, where it has a rich history spanning centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toma

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

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 Toma 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 Toma 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 Toma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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