Show ContentsTomes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

While many of Irish names are quite familiar to most, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name Tomes is Ó Tuama.

Early Origins of the Tomes family

The surname Tomes was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. This ancient family name was descended from Tuaim Snama, an eighth century King of Osraigi, and were presumably of Dalcassian origin. They were descended through Mathghamhain, the brother of Brian Boru. Although this tribe of Toomey held a family seat in Cork in the 14th century, they are believed to be descended from the Dal Cais to the north.

Early History of the Tomes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tomes research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1478, 1603, 1640, 1653, 1659, 1676, 1702, 1706 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Tomes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tomes Spelling Variations

Numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name Tomes family name. Before widespread literacy, a person entrusted the proper documentation of his name to the individual scribe. As a result, a name was often recorded under several different variations during the life of its bearer. Variations found include Toomie, O'Toomie, Twomey, O'Twomey, Twomy, O'Twomy, Twony, Toomey, O'Toomey, Toomy, O'Toomy, Twomie, O'Twomie, Twome, O'Twome, Toomee, O'Toomee, Tome, O'Tome, Thomey, O'Thomey, Thoume, O'Thoume, Thomey, O'Thomey, Tumey, O'Tumey, Tumee and many more.

Early Notables of the Tomes family

More information is included under the topic Early Tomes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tomes Ranking

In the United States, the name Tomes is the 9,618th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Tomes migration to the United States +

North America received thousands of Irish immigrants from the English-ruled Ireland during the 19th century. Once in the United States or what would become Canada, these immigrants quickly contributed to the ongoing settling and industrialization processes. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. An exhaustive examination of immigrant and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the surname of Tomes:

Tomes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Tomes, who landed in Maryland in 1660-1665 2
Tomes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Andres Tomes, who arrived in America in 1827 2
  • Juan Tomes, who arrived in Peru in 1834 2

Australia Tomes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tomes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

New Zealand Tomes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tomes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mary Tomes, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1853 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Tomes (post 1700) +

  • Robert Tomes (1817-1882), American physician, diplomat and writer from New York City
  • Margot Tomes (1917-1991), American children's book illustrator, known for Jack and the Wonder Beans in 1977 and If There Were Dreams to Sell in 1984
  • Kimberly Louise Tomes (b. 1956), American beauty queen, Miss Texas USA (1976), Miss World USA 1974 (1st Runner-up)
  • Josef Tomeš (b. 1954), Czech historian
  • Sean Tomes (b. 1984), British rugby player Gateshead, England
  • Robert Fisher Tomes (1823-1904), English zoologist from Weston-on-Avon
  • Alan Tomes (b. 1951), Scottish rugby player who played for the Scotland National Team (1976-1987)
  • Sir John Tomes (1815-1895), English dental surgeon, born at Weston-on-Avon in Gloucestershire, eldest son of John Tomes and of Sarah, his wife


The Tomes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fortis undis et armis
Motto Translation: Waves and strong arms


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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