Tompkinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Tompkinson is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the Aramaic personal name Thomas, which means twin. This became one of the most popular Christian names in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Tompkinson developed from the pet form Tom, to which the diminutive suffix -kin was appended. The surname also features the suffix -son, which superseded other patronymic suffixes in popularity during the 14th century and was most popular in the north of England.

Early Origins of the Tompkinson family

The surname Tompkinson was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Reasheath from early times. Here, most of the family were found at Willington. "It is situated on the south-west side of Delamere Forest, and comprises 977a. 3r. 17p., of which, deducting 30 acres of wood, two-thirds are pasture and one-third arable land, mostly the property of Colonel Tomkinson. The mansion of Colonel Tomkinson, standing on the borders of the forest, is a modern and elegant building in the Elizabethan style." 1

Early History of the Tompkinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tompkinson research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1640 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Tompkinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tompkinson Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Tompkinson has been recorded under many different variations, including Tomkinson, Tompkinson, Thomkinson, Thompkinson and others.

Early Notables of the Tompkinson family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Tomkinson (1631-1710), an English Muggletonian writer from Dovedale, Staffordshire. "He came of a substantial family of tenant-farmers long settled in the parishes of Ilam and Blore Ray. He had...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tompkinson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tompkinson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Tompkinson or a variant listed above:

Tompkinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Tompkinson, who settled in Virginia in 1635

Tompkinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Tompkinson, who landed in New York in 1831 2
Thomas Tompkinson, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Tompkinson (post 1700) +

Stephen Tompkinson (b. 1965), British Comedy Award winning actor, known for his work on Wild at Heart (2006), Brassed Off (1996) and Drop the Dead Donkey (1990)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)