2000
#2,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,397
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.22
Uncommon Last name
Tomlin
Derived from the Old English personal name Tomlin, meaning "little Tom" or "son of Tom."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,041 Americans carry the last name Tomlin. That puts it at #3,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,283 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomlin 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 Tomlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,283
Census rank
#3,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,372 bearers of the surname Tomlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomlin
The surname Tomlin is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or a town, and the word "lin," meaning a pool or a stream. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a town by a pool or stream.
The name can be traced back to the 11th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Tunelyn." This record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.
During the Middle Ages, the name was found primarily in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it was often associated with various place names that incorporated the elements "tun" and "lin." For example, the village of Tumbling, in Lincolnshire, is believed to have derived its name from the Tomlin family who resided there.
One notable figure bearing the Tomlin surname was John Tomlin (c. 1400-1472), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1450 until his death. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses, initially supporting the Lancastrian cause before eventually switching allegiance to the Yorkists.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Tomlin (1588-1675), an English clergyman and writer who authored several theological works, including "The Seed of the Woman Bruising the Serpent's Head" (1649), which was a critique of the teachings of the Quakers.
In the 18th century, the Tomlin name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, where it was associated with several notable families. One such individual was William Tomlin (1717-1788), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and churches in the region.
The 19th century saw the Tomlin name spread more widely across England, with several individuals achieving prominence in various fields. One such figure was Richard Tomlin (1815-1891), a renowned architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Another notable Tomlin was Elizabeth Tomlin (1831-1902), a pioneering educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and the establishment of educational opportunities for girls and women. She founded several schools and wrote extensively on the subject of women's education.
Throughout its history, the Tomlin surname has retained its association with England, with relatively few instances of its use in other parts of the world. While it has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Tomlyn, Tomlins, and Tomlinson, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomlin 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 Tomlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.5% · 8,242
- Black or African American19.1% · 2,177
- Two or more races4.1% · 469
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 373
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomlin
Tomlin 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
#3,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,797
+400 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 4.00
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#3,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,372
-425 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Down 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,888 | 11,397 | 4.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,036 | 11,797 | 4.00 | +400 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #3,082 | 11,372 | 3.80 | -425 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 46 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 Tomlin 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 | #3,036 | #3,082 | -1.5% |
| Count | 11,797 | 11,372 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.00 | 3.80 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomlin bearers went from 11,797 to 11,372 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,036 to #3,082.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tomlin
FAQ
Tomlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomlin?
Name Census estimates that about 13,041 living Americans carry the surname Tomlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,283 residents.
How common is Tomlin?
Tomlin ranks #3,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,372 people with the surname Tomlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Tomlin.
Has Tomlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomlin went from 11,797 recorded bearers to 11,372. That is a decrease of 425 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,036 to #3,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Tomlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.5% (8,242 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.5%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Tomlin (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 Tomlin mean?
Derived from the Old English personal name Tomlin, meaning "little Tom" or "son of Tom." 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 Tomlin (3.80 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 are called Tomlin?
You can see how common the surname Tomlin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.