2000
#11,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Tomblin
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "tumbling stream" or "stream with stepping stones" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,764 Americans carry the last name Tomblin. That puts it at #12,315 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,007 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomblin 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 Tomblin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,007
Census rank
#12,315
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,410 bearers of the surname Tomblin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12315th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomblin
The surname Tomblin is believed to have originated in England, and it is thought to be derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning a farm or settlement, and the word "blin," which could refer to a hill or a ridge. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived on a farm or settlement located on a hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tomblin can be found in the Domesday Book, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family with the name Tomblin residing in the village of Tomblin, which was located in the county of Nottinghamshire. This village may have been named after the family or vice versa, but it is clear that the name was well-established in that area during that time period.
During the 16th century, there are records of a notable individual named John Tomblin, who was born in 1542 and served as a member of Parliament for the town of Nottingham from 1572 to 1586. This demonstrates that the Tomblin name had achieved some level of prominence and recognition by that point.
Another notable figure with the surname Tomblin was William Tomblin, who was born in 1675 and served as the Mayor of Nottingham from 1729 to 1730. This further reinforces the connection between the Tomblin name and the Nottinghamshire region.
In the 19th century, there was a Samuel Tomblin who was born in 1825 and became a prominent businessman and industrialist in the city of Birmingham. He was involved in the manufacture of firearms and other metalwork, and his success contributed to the spread of the Tomblin name beyond its traditional stronghold in Nottinghamshire.
Throughout history, the surname Tomblin has also been spelled in various ways, including Tomlyn, Tomlins, and Tomblinson, among others. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
Overall, the surname Tomblin has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in England, particularly in the county of Nottinghamshire. While it may have started as a name associated with a specific location or geographical feature, it has since spread and been adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomblin
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomblin 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 Tomblin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 2,084
- Black or African American7.0% · 169
- Two or more races3.4% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomblin
Tomblin 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
#11,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,769
+305 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 279 places
2020
#12,315
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
-359 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,667 | 2,464 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,388 | 2,769 | 0.94 | +305 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 279 places |
| 2020 | #12,315 | 2,410 | 0.81 | -359 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 927 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 Tomblin 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 | #11,388 | #12,315 | -8.1% |
| Count | 2,769 | 2,410 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.81 | -14.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomblin bearers went from 2,769 to 2,410 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 927 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,388 to #12,315.
FAQ
Tomblin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomblin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,764 living Americans carry the surname Tomblin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,007 residents.
How common is Tomblin?
Tomblin ranks #12,315 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,410 people with the surname Tomblin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tomblin.
Has Tomblin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomblin went from 2,769 recorded bearers to 2,410. That is a decrease of 359 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,388 to #12,315.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomblin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomblin, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tomblin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (2,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomblin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Tomblin (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 Tomblin mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "tumbling stream" or "stream with stepping stones" in Old English. 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 Tomblin (0.81 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 common is the surname Tomblin?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Tomblin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.