Surname Tomkins - Meaning and Origin
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Tomkins: What does the surname Tomkins mean?
The surname Tomkins is of British origin, derived from a patronymic form of the personal name "Tom," an abbreviation of "Thomas." Thus, the last name Tomkins essentially means "son of Tom" or "son of Thomas." The origin of the name Thomas is biblical, taken from the Aramaic name תָּאוֹמָא (Ta'oma'), meaning "twin." Over centuries, the name has undergone various transformations and adaptations, leading to the creation of many surnames including Tomkins. Throughout history, the name has been widely used in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in the United States Canada, and Australia, by descendants of the United Kingdom. Despite its simple origin, the name Tomkins has come to be associated with several notable people in various fields, from academics and arts to politics and sports.
Order DNA origin analysisTomkins: Where does the name Tomkins come from?
The last name Tomkins is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, especially England. The earliest records of the name come from the 12th century in northern England. It is believed to have originally been derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word for “little Tom”.
Today, the most populous concentrations of individuals with the last name Tomkins can be found in England, Wales, and Scotland. According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR), there were 4,062 individuals living in England who held the Tomkins surname in the year 2019. This makes Tomkins the 571st most commonly occurring last name.
In the United States, the last name Tomkins is far less common, though still present. The 2010 United States Census reported 858 individuals with the last name Tomkins, compared to around one million individuals living in the United Kingdom in the same year.
Outside of the United Kingdom and United States, Tomkins can also be found in small numbers in countries like Australia, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand. While not as common as surnames like Smith and Jones, the last name Tomkins is still present in many countries across the world.
Variations of the surname Tomkins
The surname Tomkins is thought to be derived from the given name 'Thomas' which is of Greek origin and means "twin". Variations of the surname Tomkins include: Tomkins, Thomson, Thompson, Tompkins, Tomkin, Tomkyns, and Tomkinson.
The spelling variants of Tomkins include: Thomkins, Thompkins, Tompkins, Tomkinsun, and Tompkinson.
The Anglo-Saxon form of Tomkins is Tompkin or Thompkins, which dates back to the Middle Ages when personal names were spelled phonetically. Other surnames such as Tompkinson, Thomkin, Tomkyns, and Tomkinson are thought to have been derived from 'Tompkin', or 'Thomkin', respectively.
Thomson is thought to have originated from the same root as Tomkins. The spelling variation is thought to have arisen from a variant of 'Thom', which is derived from Thomas. Common surnames of this spelling variant include Thomson, Thompson, Thomson-Powell, and Thoms.
Due to its popularity throughout England and Europe, Welsh-speaking peoples have adopted the name as a Welsh surname. The Welsh variant of Tomkins, 'Thomas', is written as 'Toms' in Welsh. Other Welsh surname variants include Tomkin, Tomkyns, and Tomkinson.
Tomkins is a popular surname in the United States and the majority of Americans with this surname are descended from immigrants who arrived from England and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Variants of the surname in the US include Tomkins, Tompkins, Thompkins, and Thompson.
In short, "Tomkins" is a popular surname found throughout the English-speaking world with a variety of spelling variants and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Tomkins
- Bobby Tomkins: British Jazz drummer
- Edward Tomkins: Tony Award-winning theatre producer
- John Tomkins: British inventor
- John Tomkins: American politician from New York
- Peter Tomkins: British author of 'The Delicious Years"
- Stephen Tomkins: British biographer
- Joel Tomkins: English professional rugby league footballer
- Alana Tomkins: Singer and actress
- Gillian Tomkins: British journalist and novelist
- Susie Tomkins: Australian philanthropist
- Emma Tomkins: British radio presenter and DJ
- Adrienne Tomkins: American jazz vocalist
- Russ Tomkins: American comic book artist and illustrator
- Rickey Tomkins: American sprinter and olympic gold medal winner.
- Harry Tomkins: American baseball player
- Michael Tomkins: Professional wrestler in the WWE