Surname Tomkiewicz - Meaning and Origin

Tomkiewicz: What does the surname Tomkiewicz mean?

The last name Tomkiewicz is a Polish surname, derived from the Polish word ‘tom’ meaning ‘twin’ and 'kiewicz' meaning ‘laughter’. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, which was given to the person who was responsible for looking after twin sheep or goats (‘tom’). Over time, this person was viewed as being jovial and so became known as ‘Tomkiewicz’, which came to mean ‘laughter of twins’. It is possible that the descendants of this person, or their friends, adopted the surname as a way of commemorating the occupational association.

The name is spread throughout Poland and is also found in countries to which Polish immigrants have relocated, like the United States, England and Australia. There have been many notable Tomkiewicz’s throughout history and the world. Among them is Father Jerzy Tomkiewicz, a Polish priest who was attached to the post-World War II mission in Siberia. He was the subject of the wartime memoir, titled 'Shattered Dreams,' which was written by his assistant during the mission, Peter Strelzyk.

Today, the Tomkiewicz surname is still used by many scattered families around the world. In some cases, the spelling has changed over time, as with the Tomczyk variation found in the United States. The surname is still a visible reminder of the historical impact of Polish immigrants and serves as an important symbol of the people and culture of Poland.

Tomkiewicz: Where does the name Tomkiewicz come from?

The last name Tomkiewicz is a relatively uncommon name both globally and within the United States. The name is often associated with families of Polish descent, with data from ancestry.com indicating that the name originates in Poland. Currently the name appears most often in regions with a large polish population. Areas in the United States that one is most likely to encounter the surname include states such as New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. These three states are home to the significant polish American population.

The Tomkiewicz surname is also found at a higher rate in European countries. Countries in Central and Eastern European such as Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus all have populations of Tomkiewicz individuals. Of these countries Poland has the highest incidence of Tomkiewicz individuals. As of a 2019 survey, the majority of Tomkiewicz individuals were found in Poland.

The demographics of the name have remained relatively constant over the past few decades. Research on the popularity of the surname indicates that its prevalence has remained unchanged, with studies indicating that the name has held a relatively low rate of incidence since before the 1980s.

Overall, the last name Tomkiewicz is most commonly found in areas inhabited by those of Polish and Eastern European descent. However, the name is quite uncommon and is sweeping across other regions slowly.

Variations of the surname Tomkiewicz

The Tomkiewicz surname has several variants and spellings, as well as different surnames of the same origin.

The most common variants and spelling of Tomkiewicz are Tomkevich, Tomkowna, and Tomkovsky. Variants of the name also include Tymkiewicz, Tomkiewiecz, Tomkevic, Tomkevich and Tomiczek, depending on the region of origin and the language used to describe it.

The origin of the surname is Polish and specifically Tomkiewicz is a variation of the Romanian 'Tomescu', derived from the root 'Toma', which is a combination of the Latin 'Thomas' and the Greek 'Tomas', both names meaning 'twin'.

In addition to Tomkiewicz, other surnames of the same origin are Toma, Tomkin, Tomkins, Tomulski, Tomalski, Tomczyk, Tomescu, Tomaszewski and Tomaszczyk.

The Polish variants of the Tomkiewicz surname are prefixed with the letter 'T' and sometimes the letter 'K', while the Romanian variants are usually prefixed with either 'T' or 'D'. The spelling of the surname varies depending upon the language it is used in. In English, the surname is usually spelled as 'Tomkowicz', while for Russian speakers, the 'W' and 'V' sounds can be interchangeably used to spell the name.

Overall, the Tomkiewicz surname has many variants and spellings, and other surnames of the same origin, depending on the language it is written in and the region of origin.

Famous people with the name Tomkiewicz

• Andy Tomkiewicz (former Major League Baseball player)
• Dan Tomkiewicz (MLB pitcher)
• Tony Tomkiewicz (MLB coach)
• Joe Tomkiewicz (MLB coach)
• Kent Tomkiewicz (MLB pitcher)
• Stan Tomkiewicz (MLB outfielder)
• Randy Tomkiewicz (MLB coach)
• Nick Tomkiewicz (MLB pitcher)
• John Tomkiewicz (MLB pitcher)
• Hadley Tomkiewicz (MLB infielder)
• Gerald Tomkiewicz (former Olympic rower)
• Alfred Tomkiewicz (actor)
• Mieczyslaw Tomkiewicz (Polish actor)
• Stanislaw Tomkiewicz (Polish politician)
• Stanislaw Tomkiewicz (Polish theater director)
• Andrzej Tomkiewicz (Polish Member of Parliament)
• Pawel Tomkiewicz (Polish computer scientist)
• Wanda Tomkiewicz (Polish revolutionary)
• Stanislawa Tomkiewicz (Polish athlete)
• Slawomir Tomkiewicz (Polish soccer player)

Other surnames

Tomkiewitsch