Surname Toombs - Meaning and Origin
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Toombs: What does the surname Toombs mean?
The surname Toombs has English origins, derived from the old English word “tumb,” which means a tomb or sepulcher. It was traditionally an occupational name given to individuals who worked as a constructor, caretaker, or guard of the tombs. Such occupational surnames were commonly used during the Middle Ages to distinguish people's professions. However, some sources also suggest that the surname Toombs could also have been a nickname, given to a person who lived near a prominent tomb or burial ground. Surname meanings often varied based on geographical locations and occupational nuances. The distribution of the Toombs name is more concentrated in England and the United States. Like many last names, different spellings such as Tombs, Toombes, or Tumbe have been recorded over centuries as per various regional dialects and phonetic transcriptions. These interpretations provide a lens into the ancestry, occupation, and lifestyle of the people bearing the surname Toombs.
Order DNA origin analysisToombs: Where does the name Toombs come from?
The surname Toombs is most commonly found in the United States today. It is believed to have originated in England and was brought to the United States in the 1800s. The first known Toombs in America was William Toombs, who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1650. Since then, the Toombs family has spread throughout the entire country.
The name Toombs is most concentrated in the southern states of Georgia and South Carolina, as many of the original immigrants settled in the area. Currently, one in every 5,600 people in the United States share the last name Toombs, making it a relatively common name.
In Georgia specifically, Toombs is the 129th most common surname. It is found most frequently in the metropolitan areas of Albany, Valdosta, and Macon. It is also one of the top surnames in South Carolina, found within the greater Columbia and Charleston areas.
Today, many Toombs families have sought to preserve their unique surname and their ancestral history. The Facebook page Toombs Family History is dedicated to connecting members of the Toombs family across the world. It boasts over 4,400 members, many of whom share stories, memories, and ongoing research about their ancestral lineage.
Variations of the surname Toombs
The surname Toombs is an anglicized form of the German name Thoma, and it is derived from the Greek word ‘thomos’, meaning ‘to cut’. This surname was first found in the Rhineland region of Germany where its earliest ancestors would have lived. Today, the surname is found throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and even on the British Isles.
Variants of the surname Toombs include Thoma, Toom, Tumes, Thomes, Thomps, Teumes, and Teomps. Spelled using the two-m version, Thoma, the surname can also be spelled as Thomme, Tomme, Toma, Tuma, Tuma, and Thuma. Variations of the two-m surnames with the y-version suffix include Thomes, Thomps, and Thumps.
Sometimes there are slight spelling variations in the surnames such as Tumes and Teumes which derives from the same origin, as does Teomps.
Variations of the Toombs surname are abundant and include Tombs, Toms, Tomes, Bombs, Bome, Boume, Toomba, and Tuum.
In conclusion, the surname Toombs has undergone a variety of spelling variations over the years. Its variations include the single-m spellings Thoma, Tomes, Thomme, Tomme, Toma, Tuma, and Thuma; the y-version suffix including Thomes, Thomps, and Thumps; Tumes and Teumes; and the single-b spellings Tombs, Toms, Tomes, Bombs, Bome, Boume, Toomba, and Tuum.
Famous people with the name Toombs
- Thomas P. Toombs: politician and congressman from Georgia.
- Robert Toombs: lawyer and orator, former Confederate States politician.
- Charles Toombs: lawyer, judge, and democratic United States senator.
- Ray Toombs: professional soccer player, who currently plays for the Carolina RailHawks.
- Andrew Toombs: Australian rules footballer, who has played for the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL since 2012.
- George Toombs: American politician, member of the South Carolina Senate from 1896 to 1898.
- Ty Toombs: Australian rules footballer, who has played with the Essendon Football Club since 2011.
- Errol Toombs: professional boxer, who won a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
- John Toombs: British Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1867 to 1898.
- Simon Toombs: English collegiate cricketer for the Oxford University team from 1687 to 1692.