The Thom surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,531 people carried this name — #6,185 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 53,200 people counted. That is up 5% from 5,257 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Thom surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Thom» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the son of Thomas’.

An early record he cites: Robert fil. Thome, 1273 — Hundred Rolls. Fil. is Latin for “son of”.

His entry covers Thom, Thoms and Thomes.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 745 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

105 people named Thom live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Graubünden.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Graubünden 43
Zurich 25
Vaud 14
Thurgau 9
Aargau 4
Basel-Stadt 4
St. Gallen 3
Solothurn 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

80 people named Thom have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 98 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Greater Poland 18
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 15
Warmian-Masurian 15
Lubusz 14
Pomeranian 10
West Pomeranian 6
Lower Silesian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 43 people named Thom live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Misiones.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Misiones 20
Buenos Aires Province 12
Santa Fe 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 34 people named Thom.

15 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 10 départements, most often Rhône.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 15
Rhône 6
Doubs 4
Bouches-du-Rhône 2
Drôme 1
Isère 1
Paris 1
Somme 1
Martinique 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

44 people named Thom is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 44

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland, 1880s

Thom was 15 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 667. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Scattered.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 594 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Thom was recorded 48 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 544th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 89. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Thom in American newspapers,
1916.

Newspaper page from Stone County Enterprise carrying the name Thom
Stone County Enterprise 1916-12-09
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Thom
Daily Kennebec Journal 1916-11-24
Newspaper page from The Harlem News carrying the name Thom
The Harlem News 1916-12-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,643 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Thom in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

41,738 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Thom. The most, 5,914, date from the 1910s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 14,799
Victoria 11,203
Queensland 7,602
South Australia 2,775
Western Australia 2,770
Tasmania 2,279
ACT (Canberra) 239
Northern Territory 20

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Thom.

Who carried it

People named Thom,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Alexander Thom
    Alexander Thom 1801–1879 · writer
  • Adam Thom
    Adam Thom 1802–1890 · lawyer
  • unknown Thom d. 1888
  • Ernst Thom 1713–1773 · university teacher
  • Walter Thom 1770–1824 · historian
  • Alexander Thom 1775–1845 · judge

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Thom,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,024 records

1,024 records of the Thom name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 386
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 206
  • Other U.S. records 432
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John E. Thom

    Born 1920 in Minnesota. Enlisted 1940 at Fort Snelling; draftsman from Hennepin County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1971, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joseph M. Thom

    Born 1913 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; technician. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Georg Thom

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Abf from Hamburg, aged 15; piper. From Flatow, Prussia, Germany; bound for Syracuse.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,024 records for Thom in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia740 records

740 records of the Thom name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 377
  • Tasmanian Names Index 135
  • Other Australian records 228
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Thom

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Guildford, arriving 1822; certificate of freedom 1828.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Thom

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Nugent, sailing from London in 1836.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Thom

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Almora, aged 13; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 740 records for Thom in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Germany518 records

518 records of the Thom name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 510
  • German emigration and citizenship files 8
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Thom

    Born 1897; from Bernstein, Soldin. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 28 November 1918 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 48).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Franz Ludwig Thom

    Emigrated to North America in 1869.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Johann Thom

    Emigrated to North America in 1858.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)

Showing 3 of 518 records for Thom in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada111 records

111 records of the Thom name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 26
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 24
  • Other Canadian records 61
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Thom

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Scan, landing at Portland, bound for Goderich, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lillian Violet Thom

    Died 1982, aged 78; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Adeleine Marguerite Thom

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 89.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 111 records for Thom in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom56 records

56 records of the Thom name in the United Kingdom
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 33
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 17
  • Other British records 6
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Angus Thom

    Born 1892 at Forres; tailor. Died 1917. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Gordon Thom

    Died 1998, aged 72; buried at Buchanan Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Thom

    Buried in 1809 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 56.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 56 records for Thom in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands55 records

55 records of the Thom name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 25
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 16
  • Dutch population registers 14
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Arnoldina Geertruijda Thom

    Born 1860 in Haarlem. Married in 1891 in Haarlem; domestic servant.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Katharina Thom

    Born 1839 in Broek c.a. Married in 1871 in Rijswijk.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Midden-Holland (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Geertruida Petronella Thom

    Born 1850 in Haarlem. Died 1871 in Haarlem, aged 20.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 55 records for Thom in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Norway21 records

21 records of the Thom name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record John Thom

    Census of 1910: Gyldenløvesgate, Trondhjem; casual labourer, born 1874 in Trondhjem.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johanna Thom

    Census of 1910: Gyldenløvesgate, Trondhjem; washerwoman, born 1838 in Trondhjem.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 21 records for Thom in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Thom name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 15
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Thom

    Buried in 1896 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 61.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Thom

    Died 1937, aged 57; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 19 records for Thom in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France7 records

7 records of the Thom name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Simone Louise Thom

    Born 1908 in Paris; died 1991 in Dechy (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maurice Marc Thom

    Born 1932 in Lyon; died 1999 in Lyon (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 7 records for Thom in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Thom.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Thom is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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