# Thomson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/thomson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A British surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 24,750 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,440 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 12,475 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.4% (24,174 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɑm.sən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Tomson, Thompson, Tompson, Thomason, Thomasson |

## Etymology

From Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“MacTavish”). Also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". Many with the name MacTavish changed their name to Thomson and Thompson after Culloden. Being derived from Thomas ultimately gives this surname an Aramaic derivation - teoma 'twin'.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Thomson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 90% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.8% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Thomson in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and France.

## People named Thomson

- Elihu Thomson, American inventor (1853–1937)
- Mick Thomson, American guitarist
- Virgil Thomson, American composer and critic (1896–1989)
- Judith Jarvis Thomson, American philosopher (1929-2020)
- Anna Thomson, American actress
- Earl Foster Thomson, American equestrian (1900-1971)
- Johnny Thomson, American racing driver
- Cassi Thomson, Australian-born American actress and singer
- Peter Thomson, Australian professional golfer (1929–2018)
- Fred Thomson, American actor (1890-1928)
- James Thomson, British engineer (1822–1892)
- César Thomson, Belgian musician (1857–1931)

and 20 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Thomason, Thomsen, Thomasson, Townson, Tomson, Townsend, Tennyson, Tennison, Tonkin, Tinkham, Tomkins, Tangen.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.