Thomson

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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'.

Proper noun

Thomson (countable and uncountable, plural Thomsons)

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

Derived terms

Scottish surname

Translations