2000
#10,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Tomko
A Slovakian occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold wine barrels or casks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,837 Americans carry the last name Tomko. That puts it at #12,046 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomko 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
2.8K
1 in 120,816
Census rank
#12,046
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,474 bearers of the surname Tomko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12046th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomko
The surname Tomko is believed to have originated in Slovakia, a country located in Central Europe. Its roots can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was likely derived from the Slavic personal name Tomáš, which itself is a variant of the name Thomas.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name was often spelled as Tomko or Tomkov, with the latter being a patronymic form indicating "son of Tomko." The name's presence can be found in various historical records from the region, such as church registers and municipal documents.
One notable early reference to the name Tomko can be found in the "Urbár" (land register) of Bratislava, dating back to the 16th century. This document recorded the names of landowners and tenants, providing valuable insight into the regional distribution of surnames during that time period.
The first recorded individual with the surname Tomko was Jan Tomko, born around 1450 in the village of Ružomberok, located in the northern part of present-day Slovakia. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the surname in the region for generations.
Another early bearer of the Tomko name was Michal Tomko, born in the late 15th century in the town of Žilina. He was a prominent merchant and guild member, and his name appears in various trade records from the time.
In the 17th century, the Tomko surname gained further recognition with the birth of Juraj Tomko (1592-1672), a renowned Slovak poet and writer. His works, which included religious poetry and translations of classical texts, played a significant role in the development of Slovak literature.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Ján Tomko (1810-1887), a Slovak Catholic priest and historian. He authored several important works on the history of Slovakia and the Slovak language, contributing greatly to the preservation of Slovak cultural heritage.
Another notable figure was Samuel Tomko (1866-1934), a Slovak politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Hungarian parliament, representing the interests of Slovaks within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Throughout its history, the Tomko surname has maintained a strong presence in Slovakia and neighboring regions, with various branches of the family embracing diverse professions and contributing to the cultural, political, and intellectual spheres of their respective eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomko
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomko 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 Tomko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 2,325
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 57
- Two or more races2.3% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomko
Tomko 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
#11,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,710
+48 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 620 places
2020
#12,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,474
-236 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,969 | 2,662 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,589 | 2,710 | 0.92 | +48 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 620 places |
| 2020 | #12,046 | 2,474 | 0.83 | -236 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 457 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 Tomko 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 | #11,589 | #12,046 | -3.9% |
| Count | 2,710 | 2,474 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.83 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomko bearers went from 2,710 to 2,474 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 457 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,589 to #12,046.
FAQ
Tomko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomko?
Name Census estimates that about 2,837 living Americans carry the surname Tomko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,816 residents.
How common is Tomko?
Tomko ranks #12,046 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,474 people with the surname Tomko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,837), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Tomko.
Has Tomko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomko went from 2,710 recorded bearers to 2,474. That is a decrease of 236 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,589 to #12,046.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomko, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Tomko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (2,325 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Tomko (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 Tomko mean?
A Slovakian occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold wine barrels or casks. 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 Tomko (0.83 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 Tomko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.