Explore the Family Name St. Thomas

The meaning of St. Thomas

French Canadian: nickname with the prefix St. ‘saint’ as an (ironic) attachment to the personal name or surname Thomas. History: In North America, this surname was originally a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by Thomas Letendre dit Saint-Thomas from Graimbouville in Seine-Maritime, France, who married Marie Morin in Montreal, QC, in 1699.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name St. Thomas in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname St. Thomas has seen a slight decrease in the last decade. In 2000, it was ranked at 35,994, while by 2010, it had fallen to rank 38,050, marking a 5.71% decrease in popularity. The actual count of people with the St. Thomas surname also slipped from 589 in 2000 to 583 in 2010, reflecting a minimal decline of 1.02%. The proportion per 100,000 people likewise dropped by 9.09% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#35,994#38,050-5.71%
Count589583-1.02%
Proportion per 100k0.220.2-9.09%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name St. Thomas

Examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname St. Thomas, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at 0%. Those claiming two or more ethnicities rose from 1.87% to 2.40%, a significant increase of 28.34%. Individuals identifying as White made up the majority of St. Thomas bearers, though their proportion slightly decreased from 76.23% to 74.96%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic segment saw a notable reduction of 42.82%, falling from 3.90% to 2.23%. On the other hand, those identifying as Black increased from 17.32% to 18.70%, marking an upward shift of 7.97%.

20002010Change
White76.23%74.96%-1.67%
Black17.32%18.7%7.97%
Two or More Races1.87%2.4%28.34%
Hispanic3.9%2.23%-42.82%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%