The Thomson surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 24,750 people carried this name — #1,440 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,900 people counted. That is up 2% from 24,174 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Thomson surname
A British surname transferred from the given name.
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'.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Thomson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
81 people named Thomson live in Switzerland.
They live in 7 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 70 people named Thomson.
Most of them — 48 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 7 départements, most often Côte-d’Or.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 50 people named Thomson 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 City of Buenos Aires.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 31 people named Thomson live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
28 people named Thomson have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 119 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
302 people named Thomson are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
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) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Thomson in American newspapers,
1856–1937.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 382,157 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Thomson,
with a public archive behind them.
-
George Thomson 1619–1676 · physician -
George Thomson 1757–1851 · musicologist -
William John Thomson 1771–1845 · painter -
Anthony Todd Thomson 1778–1849 · physician -
Andrew Mitchell Thomson 1779–1831 · theologian
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 183 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Thomson.
- Thomasson 4,844 · U.S. census
- Thome 3,163 · U.S. census
- Thomen 264 · U.S. census
- Thommes 255 · U.S. census
- Thompson 664,644 · U.S. census
- Thomsen 7,654 · U.S. census
- Thon 1,066 · U.S. census
- Thong 1,378 · U.S. census
- Thony 173 · U.S. census
- Thor 2,823 · U.S. census
- Thore 243 · U.S. census
- Thorin 166 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Thomson 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.