Thomson (surname)

Thomson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Thom, Thomp, Thompkin, or other diminutive of Thomas", itself derived from the Aramaic תום or Tôm, meaning "twin". It is a surname of English, Irish, and Scottish Origin. Thomson is also the anglicised form of two Scottish Highland clan names: MacTavish, from the western Highlands of Argyll, and MacThomas, from the eastern Highlands of Angus, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire. Independent Lowland and Border traditions also produced the Thomson surname, and each tradition is genealogically distinct.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Word/nameEnglish, Scottish Gaelic, Lowland Scots

Meaning"son of Thom", "son of Thomas", "little Thomas" (French); in Highland Gaelic contexts, an anglicisation of Mac Tamhais (Son of Tamhais), the Gaelic root of MacTavish^[1]

Region of originNorthwestern Europe, Scottish Highlands (Argyll), Scottish Borders

Variant formsThompson, Thomason, Tompson, MacTavish, McTavish, MacTamhais^[2]

Quick facts Origin, Word/name ...

Thomson
Origin
Word/name	English, Scottish Gaelic, Lowland Scots
Meaning	"son of Thom", "son of Thomas", "little Thomas" (French); in Highland Gaelic contexts, an anglicisation of Mac Tamhais (Son of Tamhais), the Gaelic root of MacTavish^[1]
Region of origin	Northwestern Europe, Scottish Highlands (Argyll), Scottish Borders
Other names
Variant forms	Thompson, Thomason, Tompson, MacTavish, McTavish, MacTamhais^[2]
Thomson is an English language variant of two existing Scottish Highland clans: Clan MacTavish of Argyll in the Western Highlands, and Clan MacThomas of Angus, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire in the Eastern Highlands. Independent Lowland and Border traditions also produced this name, and each tradition is distinct.^[3]^[4]

Close

The surname is documented in Cheshire records before and after the 1066 Norman Conquest. Variations include Thomason, Thomasson, Thomerson, Thomoson, and others. The French surname Thomson is first documented in Burgundy and is the shortened form for Thom[as]son, Thom[es]son. Variations include Thomassin, Thomason, Thomsson, Thomesson, Thomeson, and others. Thomson is uncommon as a given name.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Notable people with the Surname

Arts and letters

Alex Thomson (cinematographer) (1929–2007), English cinematographer
Alex Thomson (journalist) (born 1960), English journalist
Alexander Thomson (1817–1875), Scottish architect
Beatrix Thomson (1900–1986), British actress
Beverly Thomson (1964–2025), Canadian journalist
Charles Thomson (artist) (born 1953), British artist, painter and poet
Cyndi Thomson (born 1976), American country music singer
Diana Thomson (born 1939), English sculptor
Edward William Thomson (writer) (1849–1924), Canadian journalist and writer
Frederick Clifton Thomson (1890–1928), American silent film cowboy actor
George Thomson (musician) (1757–1821), Scottish music collector
Hugh Thomson (1860–1920), Irish illustrator
Hugh Thomson (writer), English travel writer
Kenneth Thomson (actor) (1899–1967), American character actor
Lily James (born Lily Thomson in 1989), English actress
Margaret Thomson (1910–2005), Australian-New Zealand filmmaker
R. H. Thomson (born 1947), Canadian television, film, and stage actor
Riley Thomson (1912–1960), American animator and comics artist
Robert Thomson (executive) (born 1961), Australian journalist
Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet (1894–1976), Canadian newspaper and media entrepreneur
Rosemary Thomson, Canadian conductor
Rupert Thomson (b 1955), English author
Sebastian Thomson, drummer and musician
Tom Thomson (1877–1917), Canadian artist
Valentine Thomson (1881–1944) French writer, philanthropist and women's rights activist
Virgil Thomson (1896–1989), American composer

Politics, law, and government

Asahel Thomson (1790–1866), American politician and physician from Connecticut
Charles Thomson (1729–1824), secretary of the Continental Congress
Charles Poulett Thomson, 1st Baron Sydenham (1799–1841), first Governor of the united Province of Canada
Craig Thomson (politician) (born 1964), Australian politician
Edwin Keith Thomson (1919–1960), member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Edward William Thomson (1794–1865), member of the 13th Parliament of Upper Canada
Gaston Thomson (1848–1932), French politician
Kelvin Thomson (born 1955), Australian politician
Lodewijk Thomson (1869–1914), Dutch soldier and politician
Meldrim Thomson Jr. (1912–2001), New Hampshire governor
Michelle Thomson (born 1965), Scottish National Party politician and member of Parliament
Ross Thomson (born 1987), Scottish politician
Roy Hendry Thomson (1932–2009), businessman, public servant and political activist
Susan Thomson (born 1962) Canadian human rights lawyer and professor of peace and conflict studies
Thyra Thomson (1916–2013), Secretary of State of Wyoming
Vernon Wallace Thomson (1905–1988), American politician
Wayne Thomson (born 1939), Canadian politician

Sciences and medicine

Arthur Thomson (naturalist) (1861–1933), Scottish naturalist
Arthur Landsborough Thomson (1890–1977), Scottish ornithologist
Carl Gustaf Thomson (1824–1899), Swedish entomologist.
Charles Wyville Thomson (1830–1882), zoologist and chief scientist on the Challenger expedition
Christine Thomson, nutritionist
Donald Thomson (1901–1970), Australian anthropologist and ornithologist
Elihu Thomson (1853–1937), English engineer, founder of what became Thomson SA
G. Thomson (1760–1806), English geologist who worked in Italy and discovered the Widmanstätten figures
George Paget Thomson (1892–1975), English physicist, J. J. Thomson
J. J. Thomson (1856–1940), English physicist who discovered the electron
Janet Thomson (born 1942), British geologist
Joseph Thomson (explorer) (1858–1895), a Scottish geologist
Reginald H. Thomson (1856–1949), Seattle civil engineer
Robert Thomson (inventor) (1822–1873), Scottish inventor
Thomas Thomson jr. (1817–1878), Scottish botanist
Thomas Thomson sr. (1773–1852), Scottish chemist
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907), British physicist

Sports

Akiko Thomson (born 1974), Filipina television host, journalist and swimmer
Alexander Aird Thomson (1917–1991), Scottish chess master
Billy Thomson (footballer, born 1958) (1958–2023), Scottish football goalkeeper
Billy Thomson (footballer, fl. 1891–1900), Scottish football winger
Bob Thomson, English footballer
Bobby Thomson (1923–2010), Scottish-born American baseball player
Brandon Thomson, South African rugby union player
Brent Thomson (born 1958), New Zealand jockey
Cammy Thomson (1948–1996), Scottish footballer
Craig Thomson, Scottish footballer
Craig Thomson, Scottish football referee
Darran Thomson, Scottish footballer
Des Thomson (born 1942), New Zealand cyclist
Edmund Thomson (1874–1914), English cricketer
Emily Thomson (footballer) (born 1993), Scottish footballer
Fergus Thomson, a Scottish rugby player
Florence Frankland Thomson (1885–1939), Scottish chess player
Gary Thomson, Irish cyclist
Hollie Thomson (born 1986), Scottish footballer
Ian Thomson (cricketer) (1929–2021), English cricketer
J. M. Archer Thomson (1863–1913), British rock-climber and mountaineer
Jason Thomson, Scottish footballer
Jeff Thomson (born 1950), Australian cricketer
Kathryn Thomson (born 1996), British short track skater
Keith Thomson (sportsman), New Zealand cricketer
Ken Thomson (footballer), Scottish footballer
Kenny Thomson (born 1951), Scottish footballer
Kevin Thomson, Scottish footballer
Lawrie Thomson, Scottish footballer
Matthew Thomson (sport shooter), small-bore rifle champion
Peter Thomson, Australian golfer
Rob Thomson, Canadian baseball manager
Robert Thomson (1875–1954), Scottish golfer
Shane Alexander Thomson (born 1969), New Zealand cricketer

Other

Edward Thomson, bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Iain Donald Thomson, American philosopher
Judith Jarvis Thomson (1929–2020), American moral philosopher
Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet (1923–2006)
Maria Thomson (1809–1875), New Zealand businesswoman
Mowbray Thomson (1832–1917), British Army general and author
Douglas Thomson White aka Doogie White (born 1960), Scottish rock singer
John Turnbull Thomson, British engineer who lived in Singapore and New Zealand
Mick Thomson, American musician, Slipknot

In fiction

Thomson, one of two identical detectives in the Adventures of Tintin series by Hergé