NameCensus.

UK surname

Tompson

An English surname derived from the Middle English name Thomas, a variant of Tom's son or son of Tom.

In the 1881 census there were 658 people recorded with the Tompson surname, ranking it #5,453 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 333, ranked #13,670, down from #5,453 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Methwold and Abbots Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chiltern, Cherwell and Cannock Chase.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tompson is 1,232 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 49.4%.

1881 census count

658

Ranked #5,453

Modern count

333

2016, ranked #13,670

Peak year

1861

1,232 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tompson had 658 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,453 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016, ranked #13,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,232 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tompson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tompson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tompson 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 1,213 #2,352
1861 historical 1,232 #2,317
1881 historical 658 #5,453
1891 historical 742 #5,363
1901 historical 671 #6,487
1911 historical 616 #6,702
1997 modern 291 #13,792
1998 modern 290 #14,179
1999 modern 292 #14,204
2000 modern 276 #14,724
2001 modern 263 #14,999
2002 modern 257 #15,523
2003 modern 240 #16,061
2004 modern 228 #16,723
2005 modern 236 #16,286
2006 modern 239 #16,224
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 261 #15,926
2010 modern 291 #15,050
2011 modern 281 #15,276
2012 modern 308 #14,259
2013 modern 307 #14,522
2014 modern 323 #14,081
2015 modern 318 #14,155
2016 modern 333 #13,670

Geography

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Where Tompsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Methwold, Abbots Bromley and Dunham, Little. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chiltern, Cherwell, Cannock Chase and Cornwall. 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 Methwold Norfolk
4 Abbots Bromley Staffordshire
5 Dunham, Little Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chiltern 005 Chiltern
2 Cherwell 005 Cherwell
3 Cannock Chase 011 Cannock Chase
4 Cornwall 037 Cornwall
5 Cannock Chase 007 Cannock Chase

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tompson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tompson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Tompson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tompson 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Tompson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Tompson is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tompson falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tompson 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 Tompson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tompson

The surname Tompson is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name "Thomas". It first emerged in the 12th century as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Thomas". The name Thomas itself comes from the Aramaic name "Toma", meaning "twin".

In the early 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Thomasson" and "Thomassone". Over time, various spelling variations emerged, such as Tomson, Thompsonn, and Tompson. The latter spelling became more common in certain regions of England.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Tompson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1198, which mention a Robert Tompson. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals with the surname, including John Tompson of Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the surname Tompson appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a Simon Tompson was listed as a taxpayer. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 also include several Tompsons, indicating the name's spread across different parts of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Tompson throughout history include:

1. Sir Samuel Tompson (1587-1649), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Sandwich during the reign of Charles I.

2. Edward Tompson (1665-1701), an English poet and author of the celebrated work "The Sickness", which chronicled his experiences during the Great Plague of London.

3. Benjamin Tompson (1642-1714), known as the "Father of Baptists in America", an English-born clergyman who helped establish several Baptist churches in the American colonies.

4. Mortimer Tompson (1753-1828), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.

5. John Tompson (1776-1856), an English landscape painter renowned for his vivid depictions of rural scenes and coastal landscapes.

The surname Tompson has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Thomsonton in Leicestershire and Thompson's Green in Buckinghamshire, which may have influenced the spelling variations over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tompson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tompson 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 66 Tompsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 66 1.05x
Lancashire 61 0.82x
Staffordshire 59 2.79x
Norfolk 54 5.61x
Surrey 37 1.21x
Yorkshire 34 0.55x
Kent 30 1.40x
Suffolk 30 3.93x
Warwickshire 30 1.90x
Nottinghamshire 23 2.72x
Cumberland 22 4.08x
Hampshire 21 1.64x
Essex 16 1.29x
Northamptonshire 16 2.72x
Bedfordshire 14 4.32x
Derbyshire 10 1.02x
Hertfordshire 10 2.32x
Lincolnshire 10 1.00x
Leicestershire 8 1.15x
Monmouthshire 8 1.77x
Buckinghamshire 7 1.85x
Shropshire 7 1.29x
Gloucestershire 6 0.49x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.26x
Durham 5 0.27x
Herefordshire 5 1.95x
Worcestershire 5 0.61x
Cheshire 4 0.29x
Huntingdonshire 4 3.22x
Midlothian 4 0.48x
Montgomeryshire 4 2.79x
Somerset 4 0.40x
Sussex 4 0.38x
Devon 3 0.23x
Glamorgan 3 0.28x
Northumberland 2 0.21x
Oxfordshire 2 0.52x
Wiltshire 2 0.36x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.17x
Cornwall 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.24x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 1.34x
Shetland 1 1.56x
Wigtownshire 1 1.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ellenborough Ewanrigg in Cumberland leads with 20 Tompsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 534.76x.

Place Total Index
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 20 534.76x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 17 118.72x
Methwold 17 546.62x
St Pancras London 15 2.98x
Abbots Bromley 14 447.28x
Lambeth 14 2.56x
Allerton 12 151.71x
Aston 12 2.76x
Birmingham 11 2.09x
Raunds 11 183.33x
Manchester 9 2.69x
Rugeley 9 59.33x
Wolverhampton 9 5.54x
Dartford 8 36.61x
Leighton Buzzard 8 57.35x
Monk Sherborne 8 784.31x
Stevenage 8 119.58x
Bermondsey 7 3.75x
Deptford St Paul 7 4.25x
Grosmont 7 466.67x
Nottingham St Mary 7 3.21x
Southwark Christchurch 7 23.85x
Burntwood Edial 6 44.44x
Feltwell 6 320.86x
Hampstead London 6 6.15x
Nottingham Standard 6 277.78x
Oswaldtwistle 6 22.85x
Saham Toney 6 230.77x
Sedgley 6 7.64x
St George In East 6 14.08x
Bristol St George 5 8.80x
Eskdaleside 5 163.93x
Islington London 5 0.82x
Luton 5 8.91x
Portsea 5 1.99x
Spotland 5 6.05x
Tottenham 5 5.01x
Willesley 5 4166.67x
Burton Upon Trent 4 8.09x
Disley Stanley 4 56.18x
East Meon 4 119.40x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.19x
Fingringhoe 4 888.89x
Great Yarmouth 4 5.02x
Holy Trinity Less 4 296.30x
Keyham 4 645.16x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 4 25.56x
Moughtrey 4 366.97x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 4 145.45x
Soham 4 46.84x
West Derby 4 1.84x
West Ham 4 1.47x
Woodstone 4 204.08x
Worsley 4 8.73x
Bungay St Mary 3 79.37x
Castleton 3 4.04x
Christchurch 3 10.78x
Colchester Holy Trinity 3 109.49x
East Dereham 3 24.65x
Exeter St Leonard 3 84.03x
Great Saxham 3 588.24x
Iver 3 61.48x
Kensington London 3 0.86x
Leicester Newarke 3 82.87x
Llandaff 3 8.27x
Longdon 3 102.39x
Margate St John Baptist 3 7.67x
Norwich St Margaret 3 200.00x
Oldham 3 1.25x
Pilling 3 85.96x
Shobdon 3 370.37x
St Marylebone London 3 0.90x
Trentham 3 16.69x
Wells St Andrew 3 333.33x
Bedford 2 12.87x
Bolehall Glascote 2 29.90x
East Peckham 2 45.05x
Kirkdale 2 1.60x
Ratcliffe Upon Trent 2 94.34x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 34
Elizabeth 25
Eliza 15
Jane 12
Margaret 12
Alice 11
Ann 10
Ellen 9
Emma 9
Hannah 9
Maria 7
Ada 6
Emily 6
Caroline 5
Edith 5
Louisa 5
Annie 4
Charlotte 4
Martha 4
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Flora 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Betsey 2
Carailin 2
Esther 2
Evelyn 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Amy 1
Bessiy 1
Betty 1
Elenor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elisburth 1
Elith. 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Francis 1
Georgiana 1
Georgina 1
Zitella 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 41
John 28
George 19
Charles 18
Thomas 17
Henry 15
James 14
Edward 13
Robert 13
Joseph 10
Richard 7
Samuel 6
Alfred 5
Benjamin 5
Albert 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Harry 3
Reginald 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Reuben 2
Rueben 2
Alexandra 1
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Byworth 1
Caleb 1
Christopher 1
Demetrius 1
Dew 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Isaac 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathan 1
Levy 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Philip 1
R.H. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Tompson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tompson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 658 people were recorded with the Tompson surname. That placed it at #5,453 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tompson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016. That gives Tompson a modern rank of #13,670.

What does the Tompson surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English name Thomas, a variant of Tom's son or son of Tom.

What does the Tompson map show?

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