Thomson

T1H4O1M3S1O1N1
UK/ˈtɒm.sən/US/ˈtɑm.sən/

proper noun

A British surname transferred from the given name.

OriginScottish Gaelic MacTamhais →
CommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

proper nounThomson (countable and uncountable, plural Thomsons)

plural Thomsons · alternative Tomson · alternative Thompson · alternative Tompson · alternative Thomason · alternative Thomasson

  1. countableA British surname transferred from the given name.
    1. countableuncountableA Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.
  2. A place in the United States:
    1. countableuncountableA city, the county seat of McDuffie County, Georgia.
    2. countableuncountableA village in Carroll County, Illinois.
    3. countableuncountableA former city in Carlton County, Minnesota, now merged into the city of Carlton.
    4. countableuncountableA hamlet in the town of Greenwich, Washington County, New York.
  3. countableuncountableA neighbourhood of Singapore, named after Thomson Road, which was named after John Turnbull Thomson.
  4. countableuncountableA suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, named after Alexander Thomson (pioneer).
  5. countableuncountableA locality in the Shire of Baw Baw, south eastern Victoria, Australia.

Origin

  1. Scottish GaelicMacTamhais“MacTavish”
  2. EnglishThomson

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'.

More words from Scottish Gaelic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali টমসন
  • টমসন (ṭomośon)surname
Chinese Mandarin 湯姆森 /汤姆森
  • 湯姆森 /汤姆森 (Tāngmǔsēn)surname
Italian Di Tommaso, Tommasi
  • Di Tommasosurname
  • Tommasisurname
Cite this entry
APA

Thomson. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson

MLA

“Thomson.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Thomson,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Thomson.

Source: Thomson on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.