Contents [hide]

Toms History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Toms History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Czech
England
Ireland

The name Toms reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Toms family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Toms is based on the ancient given name Thomas, which itself is derived from the Aramaic name Teoma, meaning twin. 1

Early Origins of the Toms family

The surname Toms was first found in Essex, where John Thomme was listed at Colchester in 1311. Later, John Thoms was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 1

Early History of the Toms family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toms research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1433, 1473 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Toms History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toms Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Toms are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Toms include Thom, Thomes, Thome, Toms, Tom, Thoms and others.

Early Notables of the Toms family

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

Toms Ranking

In the United States, the name Toms is the 6,056^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Toms is ranked the 674^th most popular surname with an estimated 65 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Toms family to Ireland

Some of the Toms family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toms migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Toms, or a variant listed above:

Toms Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eliz Toms, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 4
Mary Toms, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 4
Fran Toms, who landed in Virginia in 1666 4
William Toms, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 4
John Toms, who landed in Maryland in 1676 4

Toms Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Gabriel Toms, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 4
Edward Toms, who landed in Virginia in 1725 4
Catherine Toms, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1768 4

Toms Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Toms, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1833 4
A C Toms, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
James Toms, who settled in Shoe Cove in 1851
Cornelius Toms, aged 37, who arrived in New York, NY in 1873 4

Toms migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Toms Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Sarah Toms, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Thorns Toms, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

Toms Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Toms, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
Albert Toms, who arrived in Canada in 1839

Toms migration to Australia +

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

Toms Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Toms, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
William Toms, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 29, 1828, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Edmond Toms, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Henry Toms, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Toms, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Toms 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:

Toms Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Toms, who landed in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand in 1830
John Toms, aged 44, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Mary A. Toms, aged 44, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Charles Toms, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Elizabeth Toms, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Toms (post 1700) +

David Wayne Toms (b. 1967), American professional golfer
Robert M. Toms, American Republican politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 3rd Circuit, 1929-59; Appointed 1929 10
Charles French Toms, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1908 10
Peter Toms (d. 1777), English painter, herald, and royal academician, son of William Henry Toms, an engraver of note early in the eighteenth century
Wendy Toms (b. 1962), English football referee
William "Billy" Toms (b. 1895), Irish footballer from Curragh
Edward James Toms (1899-1971), British Olympic bronze medalist relay runner at the 1924 Summer Olympics

Historic Events for the Toms family +

HMS Dorsetshire

David William Toms, British Warrant Officer Gunner aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 11

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1828 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1828
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html