Thompson the Uniqueness of the Name \"Thompson\"

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The Uniqueness of the Name "Thompson"

Its origins are Scottish and English, and there are a variety of meanings ascribed to it (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). There are also some different spellings used. The name simply means "son of Thom" or "son of Thomas" (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011) However, it is important to know that Thompson is not the "original" name, and is an English translation. The Anglicized Gaelic name is MacTavish, which was itself translated from MacTamhais (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). There is another potential origin, which is that the name came from a placename of Thompson (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). In other words, people who came from that place ended up with that as a last name. There is no proof of either origin of the name, as it renames somewhat of a mystery. This is not surprising, since many names have questionable origins that are unable to be confirmed at this point in history.

Currently, Thompson is the 14th most common surname within the UK (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). It remains very popular there, and continues to rise through the ranks. For example, in 1990 the census showed that Thompson was the seventeenth most popular (or reported) surname, with 0.27% of the population using it (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). Thompson is so common in the UK today that it is not an unexpected name. Many people are born into it or they marry into it each year. In time, it will likely rise higher than 14th in the listing of most commonly reported surnames. While not as common in other countries, Thompson is also frequently seen in the United States and other areas around the world (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). It is considered to be very "normal" in nature, and is not a unique name that can be quickly and easily tied to a particular region, culture, or ethnicity.

The list of famous and important people with the surname of Thompson is long and growing. It includes people such as British actress Emma Thompson and U.S. pulp fiction writer Jim Thompson (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). Because the Thompson name is so common, there is little reason to view the name as unique. Those who are interested in focusing on where their name came from can find plenty of information on Thompson, although they should be aware that some of that information may be conflicting. That is not unexpected with a name that has been used for some time and that has changed and been "adjusted" and translated throughout the years. From MacTamhais to MacTavish to Thompson may seem like a bit of a stretch, but the way names are translated is generally based more on their meaning and less on their spelling or pronunciation (Redmonds, King, & Hey, 2011). It is very likely that a name would have been changed into something that would not be immediately recognizable based on the original name from which it was changed, especially if it went from one country to another.