NameCensus.

UK surname

Tomson

An English surname derived from the Middle English "Thomasson", meaning "son of Thomas".

In the 1881 census there were 330 people recorded with the Tomson surname, ranking it #9,088 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 299, ranked #14,770, down from #9,088 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, St Neots and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tamworth, Taunton Deane and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tomson is 505 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.4%.

1881 census count

330

Ranked #9,088

Modern count

299

2016, ranked #14,770

Peak year

1861

505 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tomson had 330 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,088 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 299 in 2016, ranked #14,770.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 505 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Tomson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tomson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tomson 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 424 #5,760
1861 historical 505 #5,180
1881 historical 330 #9,088
1891 historical 345 #9,944
1901 historical 310 #11,393
1911 historical 278 #12,038
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 249 #15,720
1999 modern 237 #16,360
2000 modern 230 #16,644
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 238 #16,378
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 238 #16,242
2005 modern 243 #15,943
2006 modern 234 #16,493
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 268 #15,620
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 276 #15,427
2013 modern 299 #14,780
2014 modern 308 #14,571
2015 modern 297 #14,863
2016 modern 299 #14,770

Geography

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Where Tomsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, St Neots, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Ramsgate and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tamworth, Taunton Deane and Mid Suffolk. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 St Neots Huntingdonshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Ramsgate Kent
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tamworth 005 Tamworth
2 Tamworth 001 Tamworth
3 Tamworth 003 Tamworth
4 Taunton Deane 005 Taunton Deane
5 Mid Suffolk 001 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tomson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tomson

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Tomson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Tomson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Tomson is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Tomson 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

Tomson falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tomson 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tomson

The surname Tomson is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the personal name "Thomas," which is itself derived from the Aramaic name "Toma," meaning "twin." Tomson is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially used to identify someone as the son of a man named Thomas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tomson can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire, dated 1208, where a certain William Thomasson is mentioned. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a record of a John Thomasson in Lincolnshire. These early spellings, such as Thomasson and Tomasson, reflect the evolution of the surname over time.

The Tomson surname has been associated with various places in England, including the village of Thomason near Penrith in Cumbria. This place name may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Notably, the Tomson surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the exact reference is unclear due to the various spellings used at the time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Tomson. One of the earliest recorded is William Tomson (c. 1555-1628), an English diplomat and translator who served as the Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Richard Tomson (1569-1631), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

In the field of literature, James Tomson (1817-1883) was a Scottish poet and journalist known for his works celebrating the beauty of rural life. In the realm of science, William Tomson (1879-1950) was a British chemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and the periodic table.

John Tomson (1599-1674) was an English Puritan clergyman and theologian who was a member of the Westminster Assembly and played a role in the creation of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

While the Tomson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tomson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tomson 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 38 Tomsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.50x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 38 3.50x
Middlesex 32 0.99x
Warwickshire 27 3.33x
Lancashire 20 0.52x
Leicestershire 19 5.32x
Bedfordshire 18 10.80x
Essex 17 2.68x
Worcestershire 15 3.57x
Surrey 13 0.83x
Kent 12 1.09x
Lanarkshire 12 1.15x
Derbyshire 11 2.18x
Ross-shire 11 12.44x
Caernarfonshire 9 6.91x
Rutland 8 33.84x
Cambridgeshire 6 2.94x
Huntingdonshire 6 9.39x
Lincolnshire 6 1.17x
Yorkshire 6 0.19x
Buteshire 4 20.51x
Durham 4 0.42x
Northamptonshire 4 1.32x
Hampshire 3 0.45x
Suffolk 3 0.77x
Argyllshire 2 2.23x
Flintshire 2 2.31x
Gloucestershire 2 0.32x
Norfolk 2 0.40x
Perthshire 2 1.38x
Shropshire 2 0.72x
Sutherland 2 8.08x
Angus 1 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.51x
Cornwall 1 0.27x
Dorset 1 0.47x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.41x
Fife 1 0.52x
Herefordshire 1 0.76x
Hertfordshire 1 0.45x
Midlothian 1 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 2.61x
Sussex 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 19 Tomsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.83x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 19 21.83x
Luton 18 62.39x
Barvas 11 186.44x
Birmingham 11 4.07x
Harborne 11 31.59x
Tipton 10 30.06x
Denio 9 296.05x
Islington London 9 2.88x
Mile End Old Town 8 15.74x
Edgbaston 7 27.81x
Oakham Deanshold 7 666.67x
Onecote 7 1707.32x
Parwich 7 1346.15x
Cambuslang 6 57.14x
St Neots 6 172.91x
Upperswinford 6 168.54x
Writtle 6 230.77x
Bromsgrove 5 35.34x
Ramsgate 5 27.89x
Urmston 5 201.61x
West Ham 5 3.56x
Biddulph 4 65.25x
Bolehall Glascote 4 116.28x
Broughton In Salford 4 11.45x
Claines 4 34.66x
Clapham 4 9.94x
Grays Thurrock 4 67.68x
Hackney London 4 2.22x
Kilmory 4 140.85x
Long Buckby 4 142.86x
Maryhill 4 19.63x
Spalding 4 39.18x
Woolwich 4 9.86x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.15x
Castleton 3 7.86x
Croydon 3 3.45x
Leeds 3 1.67x
St Botolph Cambridge 3 576.92x
Ardnamurchan 2 43.96x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.43x
Camberwell 2 0.97x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.30x
Coventry St Michael 2 7.67x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 10.43x
Farr 2 93.90x
Hadleigh 2 52.63x
Lillington 2 192.31x
Marston Montgomery 2 476.19x
Overton 2 217.39x
Rugeley 2 25.64x
St Bride London 2 106.95x
St Luke London 2 3.87x
Tonbridge 2 5.05x
Tottenham 2 3.90x
Tulliallan 2 81.63x
Wolverhampton 2 2.39x
Yeaveley 2 909.09x
Bermondsey 1 1.04x
Bristol St Michael 1 18.48x
Burton Upon Trent 1 3.93x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.32x
Dunfermline 1 3.41x
Glasgow 1 0.54x
Horton 1 105.26x
Kirkpatrick Fleming 1 61.73x
Little Bolton 1 2.04x
Liverpool 1 0.43x
Llansilin 1 49.51x
Metheringham 1 48.54x
Midville 1 454.55x
Nether Hallam 1 2.32x
Oakham Lordshold 1 40.49x
Royal Navy 1 3.05x
Sandridge 1 107.53x
Shepreth 1 250.00x
Shifnal 1 13.25x
St Andrewthe Less 1 4.29x
Thetford St Cuthbert 1 55.87x
West Derby 1 0.89x
Whaddon 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 18
John 16
George 14
Robert 8
James 7
Arthur 6
Edward 5
Thomas 5
Albert 4
Frank 4
Richard 4
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Harry 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Frederic 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Reuben 2
Sydney 2
Wm. 2
Adam 1
Alonzo 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Geo. 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Jas. 1
Job 1
Kitt 1
Lewis 1
Octavus 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Rowland 1
Saml. 1
Smith 1
Solomon 1
Stanley 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Lionel 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wharton 1

FAQ

Tomson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tomson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 330 people were recorded with the Tomson surname. That placed it at #9,088 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tomson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 299 in 2016. That gives Tomson a modern rank of #14,770.

What does the Tomson surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English "Thomasson", meaning "son of Thomas".

What does the Tomson map show?

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