Show ContentsTomas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Tomas family. Tomas is a local name. Tomas is a name for someone who lived in Bavaria.

Early Origins of the Tomas family

The surname Tomas was first found in Bavaria, where this surname surfaced in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century onwards the name was associated with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Tomas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tomas research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1635, 1644, 1655, 1663, 1669, 1670, 1704, 1709, 1721, 1728, 1746, 1775 and 1776 are included under the topic Early Tomas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tomas Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Tomas include Thoma, Thoman, Thom, Thoms, Toma, Thomas, Tomas, Thomasius, Thoeman, Thome, Thomen, Thomme, Thomm, Demel, Dehmel and many more.

Early Notables of the Tomas family

Prominent among members of the name Tomas in this period include Frederic Count de Thoms (1669-1746), a German art collector; Peter Lorenz Thomas von Langenhardt (mid 17th century), Secretary of the Johannite Order of knights at Sonnenburg; Christian Thomas (1655-1728, known as Thomasius)...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tomas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tomas Ranking

In the United States, the name Tomas is the 7,116th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Tomas is ranked the 3,505th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2


United States Tomas migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Tomass to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Tomas Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Tho Tomas, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Primrose" in 1635 3
Tomas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Willem Tomas, who landed in New York in 1709 4
  • Johan Tomas, who landed in New York in 1709 4
  • Mattys Tomas, who landed in New York in 1709 4
  • Benedict Tomas, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 4
  • Adam Tomas, who settled in Philadelphia in 1747
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Tomas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G ines Tomas, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
  • J B Tomas, aged 26, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1835 4
  • Francisco Tomas, who landed in New Spain in 1838 4
  • Fermin De Tomas, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1845 4
  • M S Tomas, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Tomas migration to Australia +

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

Tomas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Tomas, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Buckinghamshire" in 1839 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Tomas (post 1700) +

  • Irene A. Tomas, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 4th District, 1936 6
  • Tomás Navarro Tomás, Spanish philologist and linguist
  • George Tomas Gahan JP (1912-1980), Australian politician and Victorian amateur boxer, Mayor of Prahan, Victoria, 1965-1966, 1970-1971
  • Nicholas Tomas Leyva (b. 1953), American third base coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Angel Tomas Cordero Jr., Puerto Rican jockey who has had 6674 career victories and lifetime earnings of $150 million
  • Tomas Cerny (b. 1985), Czech retired professional footballer
  • Tomas Jörgen Fischer (1940-2022), Swedish book publisher and businessman
  • Tomas Svoboda (b. 1985), Czech professional triathlete and aquathlete. He won gold at the 2015 ETU European Aquathlon Championships, two time UIPM biathle World Champion (2013, 2017)
  • Tomas Svoboda (b. 1987), Czech professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Orli Znojmo of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL)
  • Tomas Leandersson (1966-2021), Swedish ten-pin bowler, 2000 AMF World Cup men's champion, inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  4. 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)
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Buckinghamshire.htm
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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