# Tomlinson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/tomlinson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 25,274 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,407 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 12,216 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.8% (24,110 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɑm.lɪn.sən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From a diminutive form of Thomas + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Tomlinson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.0% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Tomlinson in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Tomlinson

- Raymond Tomlinson, American computer programmer (1941-2016)
- Eleanor Tomlinson, British actress (born 1992)
- Chris Tomlinson, British athlete
- LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player (born 1979)
- Taylor Tomlinson, American stand-up comedian
- Les Tomlinson, Australian Roman-Catholic bishop
- Gideon Tomlinson, American politician (1780-1854)
- Philip Barry Tomlinson, British botanist
- Laura Bechtolsheimer, British dressage rider competing at Olympic level

## Similar surnames

Tomlin, Tumlin, Timlin.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.