2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tomshack
A surname likely derived from a place name or occupation involving building tombs or shacks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Tomshack. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomshack 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Tomshack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomshack, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomshack
The surname "TOMSHACK" is believed to have originated in the region of Central Europe, specifically in the areas that are now modern-day Germany and Austria. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One theory suggests that the name "TOMSHACK" is derived from a combination of two Old German words: "tom" meaning "homestead" or "settlement," and "schack" which could mean "woodland" or "forest." This would indicate that the name may have originally referred to a settlement or homestead located in a wooded area, perhaps a clearing in a forest.
Another possibility is that the name is a variation or localized spelling of the German surname "Thomashäck," which itself is derived from the given name "Thomas" combined with the suffix "-häck," indicating a person's place of origin or residence.
Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries show various spellings of the name, such as "Thomshagge," "Tomshagke," and "Tomshacke," further supporting the theory of its Germanic origins.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "TOMSHACK" was Johannes Tomshack, a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Mecklenburg, in what is now northern Germany, in the late 15th century.
Another notable figure was Matthias Tomshack, a merchant and trader who resided in the city of Vienna, Austria, in the early 16th century. His name appears in several business records and contracts from that time period.
In the 17th century, a man named Hans Tomshack was a respected craftsman and woodworker in the town of Nuremberg, Germany. His intricate carvings and furniture pieces were highly sought after by the local nobility.
During the 18th century, a family by the name of Tomshack lived in the village of Schönbrunn, located in what is now the Czech Republic. They were known for their skills in brewing and operating a successful brewery for several generations.
In the late 19th century, a woman named Anna Tomshack (1856-1932) gained recognition as a talented artist and painter in the city of Munich, Germany. Her landscapes and portraits were exhibited in various galleries throughout her lifetime.
While the origins of the surname "TOMSHACK" can be traced back to Central Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical significance remain rooted in the regions of Germany, Austria, and neighboring areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomshack
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomshack, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomshack 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 Tomshack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 91
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomshack
Tomshack 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,364 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,364 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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 Tomshack 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 | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomshack bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Tomshack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomshack?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Tomshack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Tomshack?
Tomshack ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Tomshack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Tomshack.
Has Tomshack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomshack went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomshack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomshack, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Tomshack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomshack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Tomshack (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 Tomshack mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or occupation involving building tombs or shacks. 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 Tomshack (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 Tomshack?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.