2000
#45,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Tomkinson
A locational surname derived from a place name containing "Tom" and "kin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 743 Americans carry the last name Tomkinson. That puts it at #37,037 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 461,311 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomkinson 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 Tomkinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
743
1 in 461,311
Census rank
#37,037
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
648
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 648 bearers of the surname Tomkinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37037th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomkinson
The surname Tomkinson is of English origin, specifically from the county of Yorkshire. It dates back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old English personal name "Tomma" or "Toma", combined with the suffix "-kin", meaning "little" or "son of". This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of a person named Tomma or Toma.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Tomas Tomekin is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Tomekin", highlights the close connection to the Old English roots of the name.
In the 13th century, the name is found in various historical records, including the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1292, which mention a William Tomkyn. This demonstrates the spread of the name beyond its Yorkshire origins.
The Tomkinson surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Tomkinson's Farm in Cheshire and Tomkinson's Hill in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname who settled or owned land in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Tomkinson include William Tomkinson (c. 1590-1656), an English clergyman and author of several theological works. Another is Richard Tomkinson (1813-1881), a British inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in the textile industry.
In the 17th century, John Tomkinson (1638-1718) was a prominent English merchant and landowner, serving as Sheriff of London in 1686. He was also involved in the establishment of the Bank of England in 1694.
Samuel Tomkinson (1754-1838) was a British artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various galleries and museums across the United Kingdom.
Thomas Tomkinson (1804-1880) was a British architect and surveyor who designed numerous public buildings and private residences in the Victorian era, many of which are still standing today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomkinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomkinson 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 Tomkinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 567
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 30
- Two or more races4.6% · 30
- Black or African American1.7% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomkinson
Tomkinson 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
#44,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 487
+42 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 1,115 places
2020
#37,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 648
+161 bearers (+33.1%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 7,156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,308 | 445 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,193 | 487 | 0.17 | +42 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 1,115 places |
| 2020 | #37,037 | 648 | 0.22 | +161 bearers (+33.1%) | Up 7,156 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 Tomkinson 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 | #44,193 | #37,037 | 16.2% |
| Count | 487 | 648 | 33.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.22 | 27.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomkinson bearers went from 487 to 648 (+33.1% change). The surname moved up 7,156 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,193 to #37,037.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tomkinson
FAQ
Tomkinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomkinson?
Name Census estimates that about 743 living Americans carry the surname Tomkinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 461,311 residents.
How common is Tomkinson?
Tomkinson ranks #37,037 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 648 people with the surname Tomkinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (743), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Tomkinson.
Has Tomkinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomkinson went from 487 recorded bearers to 648. That is an increase of 161 (+33.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,193 to #37,037.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomkinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Tomkinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (567 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomkinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Tomkinson (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 Tomkinson mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing "Tom" and "kin". 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 Tomkinson (0.22 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 Tomkinson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.