2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tomsu
An archaic surname derived from the Greek word "tomos" meaning "a part or portion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Tomsu. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tomsu 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Tomsu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomsu, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tomsu
The surname TOMSU is believed to have originated in the historical region of Transylvania, which is now located in modern-day Romania. This name first emerged in the late 15th century, during the time when the region was under the rule of the Kingdom of Hungary.
TOMSU is thought to be derived from the Romanian word "tom", meaning "hill" or "mound", and the suffix "-su", which was commonly used in the formation of surnames in that area. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near a hill or on a small elevated landform.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TOMSU can be found in a document from the town of Sibiu, dated 1487. This document mentions a certain Petru TOMSU, who was a landowner and farmer in the region.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various church records and land registries across Transylvania. Notable individuals from this time period include Ioan TOMSU (1522-1598), a prominent merchant and member of the local guilds, and Maria TOMSU (1541-1612), who was known for her philanthropic work in supporting local orphanages.
As the centuries progressed, the TOMSU family spread to other parts of Europe, including neighboring countries like Hungary and Serbia. One notable figure was Gavril TOMSU (1678-1745), a Serbian Orthodox priest and scholar who contributed to the translation of religious texts into the Serbian language.
During the 19th century, the TOMSU name gained recognition through the works of Mihai TOMSU (1810-1879), a Romanian poet and playwright who was instrumental in the development of the Romanian literary scene. His plays and poems often explored themes of national identity and cultural heritage.
Another significant figure was Ana TOMSU (1865-1937), a Romanian educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools for girls in Transylvania and played a pivotal role in promoting equal access to education for women in the region.
The TOMSU surname has also been associated with various notable individuals in other fields, such as Andrei TOMSU (1912-1988), a renowned Romanian sculptor whose works can be found in several public spaces and museums across the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tomsu
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomsu, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tomsu 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 Tomsu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tomsu
Tomsu appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 2,127 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 Tomsu 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 | #152,628 | #154,755 | -1.4% |
| Count | 107 | 102 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tomsu bearers went from 107 to 102 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 2,127 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,755.
FAQ
Tomsu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tomsu?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Tomsu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Tomsu?
Tomsu ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Tomsu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tomsu.
Has Tomsu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tomsu went from 107 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Tomsu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tomsu, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Tomsu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tomsu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Tomsu (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 Tomsu mean?
An archaic surname derived from the Greek word "tomos" meaning "a part or portion". 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 Tomsu (0.03 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 Tomsu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.