ENGLISH
REFERENCE

thompson

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈtɑmpsən// thomp·son

n. a very common family name in English-speaking countries. It usually means 'son of Thomas'.

n. a common English-language surname of patronymic origin, meaning 'son of Thomas'.


SIMPLE

Mr. Thompson is our new history teacher.

CONTEXTUAL

The local directory lists over fifty people with the surname Thompson living in this neighborhood alone.

COMPLEX

While the spelling with a 'p' is most frequent, some branches of the family tree omit it, leading to genealogical confusion between the Thompson and Thomson lineages.

Origin

Variant of Thomson, from Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“McTavish”); also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas".

Usage

As a proper noun, it is capitalized and typically used without an article unless referring to a specific family group (e.g., 'the Thompsons').

© 2026 English Reference