Thompson (surname)


Thompson is a surname of Scottish origin, with a variety of spellings, meaning "son of roman". An alternative origin may be geographical, arising from the placename Thompson. During the Plantation period, settlers carried the name to Ireland. There has been a third alternative claim made that Thomson originated as the English translation of MacTavish, which is the Anglicised version of the Gaelic name of MacTamhais.
Thompson is the 14th most common surname in the United Kingdom. According to the 2010 United States Census, Thompson was the 23rd most frequently reported surname, accounting for 0.23% of the population.

Notable people with the surname

A–D