2000
#21,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Tomkins
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval diminutive of Thomas, ultimately meaning "son of Thomas."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,334 Americans carry the last name Tomkins. That puts it at #22,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 256,937 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomkins 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 Tomkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 256,937
Census rank
#22,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,163 bearers of the surname Tomkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomkins
The surname Tomkins has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Toma" or "Thoma," which was a diminutive form of Thomas. The suffix "-kin" was added to denote familiarity or endearment, creating the name Toma-kin or Thoma-kin.
The earliest known written record of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where it is listed as "Tomekin." Over time, the spelling evolved to Tomkins, with variations such as Tomkin, Tomkyn, and Tompkins appearing in various historical documents.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, several individuals bearing the name Tomkins are mentioned, including William Tomkyn of Oxfordshire and John Tomkyn of Berkshire. These records provide evidence of the name's widespread use across different regions of England during the medieval period.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Roger Tomkins (c. 1330-1391), a prominent Welsh landowner and soldier who served under Edward, the Black Prince. He was appointed as the Steward of the Lordship of Denbigh and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses.
Another historical figure was Nathaniel Tomkins (1584-1681), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1626 to 1630. He was also the author of several theological works.
In the 17th century, Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656) was a renowned English composer and organist, known for his contributions to the English madrigal tradition and his sacred music compositions.
Giles Tomkins (c. 1667-1718) was a British naval captain who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century and played a role in several notable battles, including the Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702.
William Tomkins (1730-1792) was a prominent English architect and surveyor, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Old Bethlem Royal Hospital and the West India Docks.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the Tomkins surname in various fields, ranging from military service and academia to music and architecture, throughout the centuries in England and the broader British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomkins 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 Tomkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 1,010
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 44
- Two or more races3.6% · 42
- Black or African American3.4% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomkins
Tomkins 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
#20,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,260
+131 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 643 places
2020
#22,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,163
-97 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 1,720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,553 | 1,129 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,910 | 1,260 | 0.43 | +131 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 643 places |
| 2020 | #22,630 | 1,163 | 0.39 | -97 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 1,720 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 Tomkins 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 | #20,910 | #22,630 | -8.2% |
| Count | 1,260 | 1,163 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.39 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomkins bearers went from 1,260 to 1,163 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 1,720 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,910 to #22,630.
FAQ
Tomkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomkins?
Name Census estimates that about 1,334 living Americans carry the surname Tomkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 256,937 residents.
How common is Tomkins?
Tomkins ranks #22,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,163 people with the surname Tomkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,334), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Tomkins.
Has Tomkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomkins went from 1,260 recorded bearers to 1,163. That is a decrease of 97 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,910 to #22,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tomkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (1,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Tomkins (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 Tomkins mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval diminutive of Thomas, ultimately meaning "son 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 Tomkins (0.39 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 Tomkins?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Tomkins on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.