NameCensus.

UK surname

Tomas

A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "twin."

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Tomas surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 482, ranked #10,255, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Plymouth and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tomas is 482 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 925.5%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

482

2016, ranked #10,255

Peak year

2016

482 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tomas had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016, ranked #10,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Tomas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tomas surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tomas 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 152 #21,603
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 140 #22,876
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 165 #20,530
2005 modern 201 #18,080
2006 modern 232 #16,600
2007 modern 259 #15,519
2008 modern 286 #14,618
2009 modern 314 #13,985
2010 modern 345 #13,370
2011 modern 360 #12,832
2012 modern 435 #10,959
2013 modern 450 #10,831
2014 modern 463 #10,659
2015 modern 461 #10,636
2016 modern 482 #10,255

Geography

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Where Tomas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, London parishes, Manchester and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Plymouth, Reading, Westminster and Lincoln. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
2 Plymouth 007 Plymouth
3 Reading 009 Reading
4 Westminster 005 Westminster
5 Lincoln 010 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tomas

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tomas

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tomas, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Tomas surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Tomas household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tomas is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tomas is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tomas falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tomas is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Tomas

The surname Tomas has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain and Portugal, where it emerged in the early medieval period. It is derived from the given name Tomás, which is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Biblical name Thomas, meaning "twin" in Aramaic.

Tomas was a relatively common surname in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages, and it can be found in various historical records from that time period. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, appearing in documents such as parish registers and tax records.

The surname Tomas is often associated with the Spanish region of Galicia, where it has deep roots and a long history. In the 14th century, a notable figure named Tomás Rodríguez de Toro (c. 1310-1380) was a prominent jurist and legal scholar from Galicia who served as a judge in the court of King Alfonso XI.

Another early bearer of the surname Tomas was Tomás de Villanueva (1486-1555), a Spanish friar and Catholic saint who was born in Villanueva de los Infantes, Castile. He was known for his charitable works and his efforts to assist the poor and underprivileged.

In the 16th century, the explorer Tomás de Berlanga (c. 1490-1551) led several expeditions to the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, and he is credited with being one of the first Europeans to map parts of the Gulf of California.

During the 17th century, Tomás de Torquemada (1420-1498) was a Spanish Dominican friar who gained notoriety as the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. He played a significant role in the persecution of Jews and Muslims in Spain during that period.

Tomás Antonio Sánchez (1723-1798) was a Spanish priest and educator who gained recognition for his work in the field of moral theology. He was known for his influential treatise "De Sancto Matrimonii Sacramento," which addressed various aspects of marriage and family life.

Over the centuries, the surname Tomas has spread from its Iberian roots to other parts of the world, carried by Spanish and Portuguese immigrants and their descendants. While it remains most prevalent in Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries with Spanish or Portuguese heritage, it can be found in various regions around the globe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tomas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tomas 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. Middlesex leads with 14 Tomas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 14 3.05x
Staffordshire 9 5.82x
Derbyshire 4 5.57x
Gloucestershire 3 3.34x
Northamptonshire 3 6.96x
Surrey 3 1.34x
Denbighshire 2 11.55x
Buckinghamshire 1 3.61x
Cheshire 1 0.99x
Cornwall 1 1.93x
Devon 1 1.05x
Essex 1 1.11x
Hampshire 1 1.06x
Kent 1 0.64x
Lancashire 1 0.18x
Oxfordshire 1 3.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wednesfield in Staffordshire leads with 9 Tomas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 394.74x.

Place Total Index
Wednesfield 9 394.74x
Clerkenwell London 5 46.21x
Coal Aston 4 3333.33x
Bromley London 3 29.76x
Westbury On Severn East 3 147.78x
Peterborough 2 64.10x
Wonersh 2 714.29x
Christchurch 1 49.02x
East Stonehouse 1 53.19x
Gillingham 1 31.06x
Gresford Llay 1 1111.11x
Gulval 1 303.03x
Hackney London 1 3.89x
Holt 1 625.00x
Hornsey 1 17.24x
Kensington London 1 3.92x
Leigh 1 322.58x
Northampton St Giles 1 60.98x
Oldham 1 5.69x
Oxford St Thomas 1 75.76x
Smallwood 1 1111.11x
South Mimms 1 158.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 10.85x
St Marylebone London 1 4.09x
St Pancras London 1 2.71x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 90.91x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
George 2
James 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edgar 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jess 1
John. 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Milson 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tomas households.

FAQ

Tomas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tomas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Tomas surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tomas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016. That gives Tomas a modern rank of #10,255.

What does the Tomas surname mean?

A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the given name Thomas, meaning "twin."

What does the Tomas map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tomas 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.