Find out how popular the last name Tomson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tomson.

Tomson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tomson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tomson in America

Tomson is the 23153rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tomson surname appeared 1,102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tomson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tomson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tomson

The surname Tomson is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the personal name "Thomas," which is itself derived from the Aramaic name "Toma," meaning "twin." Tomson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially used to identify someone as the son of a man named Thomas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tomson can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, dated 1208, where a certain William Thomasson is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a John Thomasson in Lincolnshire. These early spellings, such as Thomasson and Tomasson, reflect the evolution of the surname over time.

The Tomson surname has been associated with various places in England, including the village of Thomason near Penrith in Cumbria. This place name may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Notably, the Tomson surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the exact reference is unclear due to the various spellings used at the time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Tomson. One of the earliest recorded is William Tomson (c. 1555-1628), an English diplomat and translator who served as the Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Richard Tomson (1569-1631), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the field of literature, James Tomson (1817-1883) was a Scottish poet and journalist known for his works celebrating the beauty of rural life. In the realm of science, William Tomson (1879-1950) was a British chemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and the periodic table.

John Tomson (1599-1674) was an English Puritan clergyman and theologian who was a member of the Westminster Assembly and played a role in the creation of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

While the Tomson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tomson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tomson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tomson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tomson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tomson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tomson, please contact us.

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