Tomlinson Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Tomlinson last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Tomlinson last name
Meaning of the Tomlinson last name: son of little Tom. Tomlinson is an English surname meaning "son of Tomlin", a medieval pet form of Thomas. The last name is most at home in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the north Midlands. Curiously, the engineer Ray Tomlinson sent the first email between computers in 1971 and chose the @ sign for addresses.
Arms associated with the Tomlinson name
Heraldry linked with the Tomlinson surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Tomlinson family history
This is only a glimpse of the Tomlinson story. The full Tomlinson history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Tomlinson coat of arms. Get the full Tomlinson report.
Tomlinson name FAQ
What does the Tomlinson name mean?
Son of little Tom. Common variants include Tomlison, Tomblinson.
Where does the Tomlinson surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Tomlinson coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Tomlinson coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).