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Tompkins Family History

Tompkins Surname Meaning

English: patronymic from Tomkin a medieval pet form of the personal name Thomas.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Tompkins family from?

You can see how Tompkins families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tompkins family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tompkins families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 429 Tompkins families living in Buckinghamshire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Tompkins's in United Kingdom. Buckinghamshire had the highest population of Tompkins families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tompkins surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tompkins ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Tompkins. 8% of Tompkins men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Tompkins women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tompkins were Farmer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Tompkins | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Gardener
    5%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Tompkins family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 193,000 census records available for the last name Tompkins. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tompkins census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tompkins

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Tompkins. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tompkins immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35,000 military records available for the last name Tompkins. For the veterans among your Tompkins ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tompkins military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tompkins family history

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What is the average Tompkins lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Tompkins life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Tompkins in 1940 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tompkins

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tompkins ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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