2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tomforde
An English surname originating from a medieval place name, likely containing the Old English elements 'tun' (farm, estate) and 'ford' (river crossing).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Tomforde. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomforde 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Tomforde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomforde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomforde
The surname Tomforde is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "tun" (meaning a farm or enclosed homestead) and "ford" (a shallow river crossing). This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ford or river crossing near a farm or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tomforde can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Tunforde" and "Tounforde" appear in various historical records and manuscripts from counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. These variations likely reflect regional dialectal differences in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named John Tomforde (c. 1510-1580) was a prominent landowner and member of the gentry class in the county of Kent. His ancestral seat was located in the village of Tenterden, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of his surname.
Another historical figure with the name was Sir Robert Tomforde (1580-1644), a member of the English Parliament and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was knighted by King Charles I in 1628 for his military service.
In the 18th century, a man named William Tomforde (1710-1782) was a renowned architect and builder who designed and constructed several notable churches and public buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Aldermary.
During the 19th century, a famous explorer and naturalist named James Tomforde (1815-1892) embarked on several expeditions to Africa and South America, where he documented numerous plant and animal species previously unknown to Western science.
It is worth noting that the name Tomforde has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as the village of Tomforde in Somerset and the hamlet of Tomforde Green in Kent, further reinforcing its historical roots and geographical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomforde
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomforde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomforde 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 Tomforde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomforde
Tomforde appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,858 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 Tomforde 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 | #148,347 | #150,205 | -1.3% |
| Count | 111 | 109 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomforde bearers went from 111 to 109 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #150,205.
FAQ
Tomforde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomforde?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Tomforde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Tomforde?
Tomforde ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Tomforde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tomforde.
Has Tomforde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomforde went from 111 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomforde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomforde, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Tomforde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomforde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Tomforde (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 Tomforde mean?
An English surname originating from a medieval place name, likely containing the Old English elements 'tun' (farm, estate) and 'ford' (river crossing). 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 Tomforde (0.04 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 share the surname Tomforde?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.