2000
#49,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 398
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Tonkinson
An English surname derived from a diminutive of the personal name Anthony.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 484 Americans carry the last name Tonkinson. That puts it at #52,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 708,170 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tonkinson 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 Tonkinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
484
1 in 708,170
Census rank
#52,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
422
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 422 bearers of the surname Tonkinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tonkinson
The surname Tonkinson is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the Old English words "tun," meaning an enclosure or a village, and "kin," which signifies family or kin.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Tonkinson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, where it appears as "Tunkinson." This historic document served as a census of landowners and their holdings, suggesting that the Tonkinson family had established themselves as landowners during that era.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties in England, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was spelled as "Tonkynson." This variation in spelling was common during that period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Tonkinson was John Tonkinson, a prominent lawyer and author born in 1585 in Lincolnshire. He wrote several legal treatises and served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1626.
Another remarkable individual was William Tonkinson, a renowned architect born in 1670 in Yorkshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the iconic St. Paul's Cathedral in London, which was completed in 1711 after his death.
In the 18th century, the Tonkinson family had a presence in the textile industry. Thomas Tonkinson, born in 1745 in Lancashire, was a prominent wool merchant and played a significant role in the region's thriving textile trade.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Tonkinson gained recognition in the literary world. Mary Tonkinson, born in 1810 in Derbyshire, was a celebrated poet and author, known for her romantic verses and novels.
Additionally, the Tonkinson surname can be linked to several place names in England, such as Tonkinson Green in Warwickshire and Tonkinson Bridge in Yorkshire. These locations may have derived their names from the Tonkinson family's historical presence or landholdings in those areas.
Throughout its history, the surname Tonkinson has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, reflecting the family's deep roots and contributions to various fields, including law, architecture, literature, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tonkinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tonkinson 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 Tonkinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 380
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 25
- Two or more races2.1% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tonkinson
Tonkinson 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
#50,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 410
+12 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,288 places
2020
#52,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 422
+12 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,563 | 398 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,851 | 410 | 0.14 | +12 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 1,288 places |
| 2020 | #52,998 | 422 | 0.14 | +12 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 2,147 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 Tonkinson 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 | #50,851 | #52,998 | -4.2% |
| Count | 410 | 422 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tonkinson bearers went from 410 to 422 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 2,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,851 to #52,998.
FAQ
Tonkinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tonkinson?
Name Census estimates that about 484 living Americans carry the surname Tonkinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 708,170 residents.
How common is Tonkinson?
Tonkinson ranks #52,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 422 people with the surname Tonkinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (484), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Tonkinson.
Has Tonkinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tonkinson went from 410 recorded bearers to 422. That is an increase of 12 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,851 to #52,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Tonkinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tonkinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Tonkinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tonkinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Tonkinson (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 Tonkinson mean?
An English surname derived from a diminutive of the personal name Anthony. 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 Tonkinson (0.14 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 common is the surname Tonkinson?
See how many people have the last name Tonkinson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.