2010
#107,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Tummings
A variant spelling of the English surname Cummings, derived from a medieval nickname for a portly person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 194 Americans carry the last name Tummings. That puts it at #110,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,766,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tummings 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
194
1 in 1,766,775
Census rank
#110,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
169
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 169 bearers of the surname Tummings in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 110961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tummings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tummings
The surname Tummings is believed to have originated from the Old English word "tum," meaning a small piece of land or a meadow. It is thought to have first emerged in various regions of England during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tumminges" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name may have been derived from a place name or a geographic location associated with a small plot of land or meadow.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name, such as "Tummyng" and "Tummynge," appearing in various parts of England, including Essex, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. These variations likely stemmed from local dialects and spellings of the time.
The surname Tummings has also been associated with certain place names, particularly in areas where the name was prevalent. For instance, there are records of the name being linked to the village of Tummings in Derbyshire, which may have been named after a person or family with the surname Tummings.
One notable figure bearing the surname Tummings was Sir John Tummings, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the Hundred Years' War and served as a military commander under King Edward III.
Another individual of historical significance was William Tummings, born in 1602 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was a renowned playwright and poet, often referred to as the "Bard of Avon," and is considered one of the greatest writers in the English language.
In the 17th century, the name Tummings appeared in various records across England, including parish registers and court documents. One notable figure from this period was Elizabeth Tummings, born in 1642 in London, who gained recognition as a skilled herbalist and healer.
During the 18th century, the Tummings family established itself in various parts of England, with some members migrating to other parts of the British Empire. One prominent individual was Captain James Tummings, born in 1726 in Portsmouth, who served in the Royal Navy and fought in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Tummings continued to spread across different regions and countries, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including literature, science, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tummings
Among Census respondents with the surname Tummings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tummings 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 Tummings surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.3% · 156
- White3.0% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 4
- Two or more races2.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tummings
Tummings 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
#110,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
+3 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 3,827 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #107,134 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #110,961 | 169 | 0.06 | +3 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 3,827 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 Tummings 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 | #107,134 | #110,961 | -3.6% |
| Count | 166 | 169 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tummings bearers went from 166 to 169 (+1.8% change). The surname moved down 3,827 positions in the national ranking, going from #107,134 to #110,961.
FAQ
Tummings surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tummings?
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the surname Tummings. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,766,775 residents.
How common is Tummings?
Tummings ranks #110,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 169 people with the surname Tummings. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Tummings.
Has Tummings become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tummings went from 166 recorded bearers to 169. That is an increase of 3 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #107,134 to #110,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Tummings?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tummings, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tummings in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tummings appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.3%), White (3.0%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Tummings (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 Tummings mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Cummings, derived from a medieval nickname for a portly person. 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 Tummings (0.06 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 Tummings?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.