NameCensus.

UK surname

Tomkinson

A locational surname derived from a place name containing "Tom" and "kin".

In the 1881 census there were 1,966 people recorded with the Tomkinson surname, ranking it #2,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,597, ranked #2,559, down from #2,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton-in-the-Moors, Wolstanton and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stafford, Cheshire East and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tomkinson is 2,883 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.1%.

1881 census count

1,966

Ranked #2,230

Modern count

2,597

2016, ranked #2,559

Peak year

1911

2,883 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tomkinson had 1,966 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,597 in 2016, ranked #2,559.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,883 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Tomkinson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tomkinson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tomkinson 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 1,352 #2,125
1861 historical 1,762 #1,639
1881 historical 1,966 #2,230
1891 historical 2,213 #2,112
1901 historical 2,475 #2,206
1911 historical 2,883 #1,806
1997 modern 2,205 #2,815
1998 modern 2,722 #2,434
1999 modern 2,701 #2,465
2000 modern 2,707 #2,452
2001 modern 2,695 #2,410
2002 modern 2,760 #2,411
2003 modern 2,673 #2,428
2004 modern 2,635 #2,459
2005 modern 2,597 #2,459
2006 modern 2,555 #2,495
2007 modern 2,568 #2,504
2008 modern 2,589 #2,505
2009 modern 2,677 #2,480
2010 modern 2,711 #2,514
2011 modern 2,688 #2,498
2012 modern 2,581 #2,551
2013 modern 2,597 #2,577
2014 modern 2,615 #2,576
2015 modern 2,592 #2,568
2016 modern 2,597 #2,559

Geography

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Where Tomkinsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton-in-the-Moors, Wolstanton, Burslem, Manchester and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stafford, Cheshire East and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stafford 015 Stafford
2 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
3 Cheshire East 044 Cheshire East
4 Cheshire East 037 Cheshire East
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tomkinson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tomkinson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Tomkinson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Tomkinson 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Tomkinson 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

Tomkinson is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tomkinson falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tomkinson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tomkinson

The surname Tomkinson is of English origin, specifically from the county of Yorkshire. It dates back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old English personal name "Tomma" or "Toma", combined with the suffix "-kin", meaning "little" or "son of". This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of a person named Tomma or Toma.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Tomas Tomekin is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Tomekin", highlights the close connection to the Old English roots of the name.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various historical records, including the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1292, which mention a William Tomkyn. This demonstrates the spread of the name beyond its Yorkshire origins.

The Tomkinson surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Tomkinson's Farm in Cheshire and Tomkinson's Hill in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname who settled or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Tomkinson include William Tomkinson (c. 1590-1656), an English clergyman and author of several theological works. Another is Richard Tomkinson (1813-1881), a British inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in the textile industry.

In the 17th century, John Tomkinson (1638-1718) was a prominent English merchant and landowner, serving as Sheriff of London in 1686. He was also involved in the establishment of the Bank of England in 1694.

Samuel Tomkinson (1754-1838) was a British artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various galleries and museums across the United Kingdom.

Thomas Tomkinson (1804-1880) was a British architect and surveyor who designed numerous public buildings and private residences in the Victorian era, many of which are still standing today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tomkinson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tomkinson 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. Staffordshire leads with 690 Tomkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.72x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 690 10.72x
Cheshire 482 11.45x
Lancashire 325 1.44x
Warwickshire 101 2.10x
Middlesex 62 0.33x
Yorkshire 51 0.27x
Shropshire 37 2.25x
Surrey 37 0.40x
Derbyshire 23 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.86x
Caernarfonshire 20 2.59x
Leicestershire 13 0.61x
Flintshire 12 2.34x
Essex 11 0.29x
Hampshire 11 0.28x
Worcestershire 10 0.40x
Durham 8 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 7 1.60x
Wiltshire 7 0.42x
Northumberland 6 0.21x
Sussex 4 0.12x
Devon 3 0.08x
Kent 3 0.05x
Northamptonshire 2 0.11x
Royal Navy 2 0.88x
Anglesey 1 0.30x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Monmouthshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nantwich in Cheshire leads with 109 Tomkinsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 222.86x.

Place Total Index
Nantwich 109 222.86x
Stoke Upon Trent 79 11.57x
Burslem 56 30.37x
Smallthorne 55 230.22x
Wolstanton 55 28.13x
Birmingham 54 3.37x
Audley 49 76.94x
Norton In Moors 48 140.85x
Leek Lowe 43 50.20x
Walsall Foreign 40 12.03x
Macclesfield 36 19.24x
Manchester 36 3.54x
Aston 34 2.57x
Congleton 33 45.37x
Shrewsbury St Mary 31 47.69x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 25 66.72x
Hulme 24 5.08x
Salford 23 3.46x
Wolverhampton 23 4.65x
Sandbach 22 61.28x
West Derby 18 2.72x
Everton 17 2.36x
Kirkdale 17 4.47x
Toxteth Park 17 2.22x
Liverpool 16 1.16x
Hackney London 15 1.40x
Newcastle Under Lyme 15 13.17x
Cannock 14 12.46x
Llanbeblig 14 17.89x
Bilston 13 10.42x
Monks Coppenhall 13 8.18x
Runcorn 13 13.39x
Wolstanton Knutton 13 33.07x
Willaston In Nantwich 12 92.38x
Willenhall 12 9.95x
Alsager 11 104.96x
Brewood 11 59.27x
Forton 11 311.61x
Gnosall 11 70.79x
Kingston On Thames 11 4.93x
Oldham 11 1.51x
St Pancras London 11 0.72x
Widnes 11 6.74x
Glossop Dale 10 7.15x
Liscard 10 13.18x
Normanby In 10 19.79x
Openshaw 10 9.44x
Pendleton In Salford 10 3.71x
Sutton In Macclesfield 10 22.89x
Ardwick 9 4.41x
Camberwell 9 0.74x
Droylsden 9 12.19x
Leighton In Nantwich 9 803.57x
Litchurch 9 7.49x
Rugeley 9 19.48x
West Bromwich 9 2.44x
Wolstanton Chesterton 9 27.36x
Battersea 8 1.14x
Bradford 8 1.75x
Church Hulme 8 185.19x
Gorton 8 3.76x
Haslington 8 67.57x
Whitby 8 82.39x
Altrincham 7 9.52x
Ashley 7 133.08x
Chester St Oswald 7 9.18x
Great Bolton 7 2.34x
Moss Side 7 5.88x
Newton 7 4.01x
Northen Etchells 7 141.70x
Over 7 16.36x
Rainhill 7 48.28x
St George Hanover 7 2.81x
Swindon 7 5.35x
Swynnerton 7 138.07x
Tettenhall 7 17.78x
Warrington 7 2.61x
West Ham 7 0.84x
Alton 6 86.58x
Kermincham 6 504.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 135
Sarah 87
Elizabeth 73
Ann 43
Hannah 37
Annie 33
Alice 32
Eliza 32
Ellen 32
Martha 29
Emma 28
Jane 27
Emily 24
Louisa 21
Margaret 18
Fanny 15
Ada 14
Clara 13
Esther 13
Harriet 13
Anne 12
Frances 11
Maria 11
Charlotte 8
Florence 8
Caroline 7
Elizth. 7
Gertrude 6
Lucy 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Edith 5
Jessie 5
Kate 5
Margret 5
Minnie 5
Nellie 5
Rebecca 5
Rose 5
Amelia 4
Betsy 4
Catherine 4
Harriett 4
Henrietta 4
Laura 4
Lavinia 4
Lizzie 4
Susannah 4
Eva 3
May 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 126
John 105
George 67
James 61
Thomas 51
Charles 49
Henry 45
Joseph 45
Arthur 32
Samuel 29
Alfred 22
Frederick 22
Albert 19
Edward 19
Richard 17
Harry 14
Peter 11
Herbert 10
Robert 10
Walter 8
Frank 7
Chas. 6
Daniel 6
David 6
Edwin 6
Fred 6
Thos. 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Isaac 5
Wm. 5
Andrew 3
Edmund 3
Ernest 3
Geo. 3
Leonard 3
Amos 2
Edgar 2
Eli 2
Elijah 2
Enoch 2
Fredk. 2
Horace 2
Jabez 2
Josiah 2
Moses 2
Ralph 2
Tom 2
W. 2
Booth 1

FAQ

Tomkinson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tomkinson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,966 people were recorded with the Tomkinson surname. That placed it at #2,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tomkinson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,597 in 2016. That gives Tomkinson a modern rank of #2,559.

What does the Tomkinson surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name containing "Tom" and "kin".

What does the Tomkinson map show?

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