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Tom Family History

Tom Surname Meaning

English, Scottish, and Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Thomas, a variant of Thom in Britain. Native American (e.g. Navajo): adoption of the English personal name Tom (see 1 above) as a surname.

Polish: from a short form of the personal name Tomasz (see Thomas). Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 譚, see Tan.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 湯 and 唐 based on their Cantonese pronunciation. See Tang 1 and.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Tom family from?

You can see how Tom families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tom family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tom families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 139 Tom families living in British Columbia. This was about 49% of all the recorded Tom's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Tom families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tom surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tom ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Tom. 21% of Tom men worked as a Labourer and 36% of Tom women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tom were Fisherman and Servant.

View Census Data for Tom | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    21%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Cook
    12%
  • Fisherman
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    36%
  • Cannery Hand
    22%
  • At Home
    15%
  • Servant
    15%

What Tom family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 38,000 census records available for the last name Tom. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tom census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tom

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Tom. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tom immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Tom. For the veterans among your Tom ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tom military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tom family history

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What is the average Tom lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Tom life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Tom in 1942 was 40, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tom

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tom ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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