NameCensus.

UK surname

Thoms

Derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "twin" in Aramaic.

In the 1881 census there were 533 people recorded with the Thoms surname, ranking it #6,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 599, ranked #8,731, down from #6,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St James Clerkenwell and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fintry, The Glens and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thoms is 756 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.4%.

1881 census count

533

Ranked #6,449

Modern count

599

2016, ranked #8,731

Peak year

1891

756 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thoms had 533 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 599 in 2016, ranked #8,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 756 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Thoms surname distribution map

The map shows where the Thoms surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Thoms surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thoms over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 382 #6,266
1861 historical 468 #5,549
1881 historical 533 #6,449
1891 historical 756 #5,271
1901 historical 638 #6,740
1911 historical 444 #8,598
1997 modern 594 #8,208
1998 modern 601 #8,384
1999 modern 571 #8,726
2000 modern 552 #8,917
2001 modern 528 #9,084
2002 modern 533 #9,203
2003 modern 523 #9,192
2004 modern 528 #9,144
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 535 #9,007
2007 modern 536 #9,068
2008 modern 544 #9,041
2009 modern 563 #8,999
2010 modern 592 #8,874
2011 modern 588 #8,825
2012 modern 565 #8,993
2013 modern 575 #9,014
2014 modern 594 #8,872
2015 modern 588 #8,864
2016 modern 599 #8,731

Geography

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Where Thoms' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St James Clerkenwell, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fintry, The Glens and Sunderland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fintry Dundee City
2 The Glens Dundee City
3 Sunderland 004 Sunderland
4 Sunderland 005 Sunderland
5 Sunderland 003 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thoms

These lists show first names that appear often with the Thoms surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thoms

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thoms, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Thoms surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Thoms household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Thoms is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thoms is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thoms falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thoms is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Thoms, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Thoms

The surname Thoms is believed to have originated in Germany and is a variation of the name Thomas. It is derived from the Aramaic name Ta'oma, meaning "twin." The name Thomas became popular in Europe after the spread of Christianity and the veneration of St. Thomas the Apostle.

In the early medieval period, Thoms was a common name in the regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, where a "Johannes Thoms" is mentioned in a Frisian manuscript from the year 1244.

The Thoms surname is also found in historical records from the 14th century, including a reference to a "Henricus Thoms" in a land deed from the town of Cologne in 1371. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region at the time.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and forms, such as Toms, Tommes, and Thomsen. In some areas, the name was also associated with place names, such as Thomasdorf (meaning "Thomas' village") in Germany and Thomastown in Ireland.

Notable individuals with the surname Thoms throughout history include:

1. Johannes Thoms (c. 1290-1360), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. 2. Willem Thoms (1548-1616), a Dutch cartographer and explorer who accompanied the first Dutch expedition to Indonesia. 3. Thomas Thoms (1709-1778), an English bookseller and publisher known for his work on Shakespeare's plays. 4. George Thoms (1789-1857), a Scottish lawyer and antiquarian who served as the first principal keeper of the Public Records of Scotland. 5. William Thoms (1803-1885), an English writer and folklorist who is credited with coining the term "folklore" in 1846.

While the surname Thoms may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thoms families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thoms surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Angus leads with 193 Thoms' recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.92x.

County Total Index
Angus 193 39.92x
Middlesex 68 1.30x
Lancashire 41 0.66x
Fife 34 11.01x
Northumberland 21 2.70x
Durham 16 1.03x
Surrey 15 0.59x
Yorkshire 15 0.29x
Lanarkshire 14 0.83x
Renfrewshire 14 3.46x
Westmorland 13 11.33x
Glamorgan 10 1.10x
Staffordshire 9 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.14x
Midlothian 6 0.86x
Devon 5 0.46x
Perthshire 5 2.13x
Bedfordshire 4 1.48x
Hampshire 4 0.37x
Kent 4 0.22x
Somerset 4 0.48x
Warwickshire 4 0.30x
Channel Islands 3 1.94x
Cornwall 3 0.51x
Stirlingshire 3 1.56x
Worcestershire 3 0.44x
Ayrshire 2 0.51x
Cumberland 2 0.45x
Dorset 2 0.58x
Essex 2 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.21x
Argyllshire 1 0.69x
East Lothian 1 1.45x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.32x
Oxfordshire 1 0.31x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 130 Thoms' recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.03x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 130 72.03x
Liff Benvie 43 58.59x
St George Hanover 16 23.49x
Toxteth Park 15 7.15x
St Pancras London 13 3.09x
Kirkcaldy 11 71.80x
Lambeth 11 2.42x
Barony 8 1.87x
Kendal 8 38.10x
Kilmalcolm 8 164.95x
Shoreditch London 8 3.54x
St Andrews 8 56.90x
Nottingham St Mary 7 3.85x
Bishopwearmouth 6 4.50x
Byker 6 15.63x
Forgan 6 101.35x
Poplar London 6 6.09x
Aberlemno 5 279.33x
Alyth 5 79.37x
Blaenhonddan 5 118.20x
Dawdon 5 26.18x
Dysart 5 24.04x
Forfar 5 19.10x
Inverkip 5 52.47x
Islington London 5 0.99x
Kingswinford 5 7.82x
Kirriemuir 5 41.91x
Nether Graveship 5 454.55x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 12.42x
South Leith 5 6.36x
Swansea Town 5 6.71x
Aston 4 1.10x
Bedford St Paul 4 21.59x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 8.13x
Chelsea London 4 2.54x
Dewsbury 4 7.54x
Elswick 4 6.45x
Everton 4 2.03x
Frome 4 19.91x
Govan 4 0.96x
Liverpool 4 1.06x
Padiham 4 26.74x
Sculcoates 4 4.88x
St Marylebone London 4 1.44x
West Derby 4 2.21x
Wolverhampton 4 2.95x
Claines 3 16.04x
Coupar Angus 3 65.65x
Cults 3 238.10x
Doncaster 3 7.94x
St Peter Port 3 10.49x
Acton 2 6.54x
Antony 2 35.03x
Blandford Forum 2 29.59x
Brading 2 14.06x
Cleator 2 10.70x
Darlington 2 3.34x
Great Crosby 2 11.85x
Lochee 2 46.40x
New Cumnock 2 29.54x
Newington 2 1.04x
Shanklin 2 62.70x
St Olave Old Jewry 2 2500.00x
Stirling 2 8.24x
Stoke Damerel 2 2.63x
West Ham 2 0.88x
Abbey 1 1.62x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 1.11x
Ardchattan Muckairn 1 27.86x
Eastbourne 1 2.47x
Ford 1 35.21x
Hammersmith London 1 0.78x
Harrow On The Hill 1 9.59x
Hulme 1 0.77x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.39x
Oldhamstocks 1 99.01x
Paddington London 1 0.52x
Tong 1 10.01x
Tooting Graveney 1 14.12x
Wooler 1 36.63x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Thoms surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 9
Alice 8
Margaret 6
Ann 5
Annie 5
Jane 5
Ada 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Helen 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Anne 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Clephon 1
Edmie 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.Caroline 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Estha 1
Ethel 1
Eveline 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
J. 1
Jennie 1
Kate 1
Maria 1
May 1
Miriam 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Thoms surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 15
Thomas 10
James 9
Charles 7
George 7
William 7
Edward 5
Henry 5
David 4
Robert 4
Alexander 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Adam 1
Alex 1
Andrew 1
Arnold 1
Bernard 1
Chas.J. 1
Claud 1
Daniel 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo.E. 1
Geo.Fredk.Dobson 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Josiah 1
Kenneth 1
Leslie 1
Nathl.Wm.Benjm. 1
Saml. 1
Steven 1
Susan 1
Titus 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Thoms surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thoms surname in 1881?

In 1881, 533 people were recorded with the Thoms surname. That placed it at #6,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thoms surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 599 in 2016. That gives Thoms a modern rank of #8,731.

What does the Thoms surname mean?

Derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "twin" in Aramaic.

What does the Thoms map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Thoms bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.