THOM
Aramaic is the original linguistic source of the surname Thom, deriving from the personal name Toma, which means “twin”. The name was adopted as a patronymic, signifying *descendant of Thomas*.
The personal name Thomas itself was introduced into Europe through Christian influence, notably the veneration of Saint Thomas the Apostle. In medieval Scotland the suffix –an was frequently omitted, producing the shortened form Thom from Thomas. The name is therefore associated with both Christian heritage and the literal meaning of “twin”.
Recorded spelling variants number in excess of two hundred and include Tomas and Thomas in Britain, Tommasi and Toma in Italy, Thom, Thomas, Thoma, Thumm and Thome in Germany, Tomaschek in Slavic regions, Fominov in Russia, Tomich and Khomich in Belarus, and Thomasson in Sweden. All trace back to the same Aramaic root.
The earliest authentic instance of the name is believed to be Henneko Thom, a burgess of Hamburg, Germany, dated 1252. Other medieval records include Richard Thome of York, cited in 1293; Walter Thomas of Warwickshire, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1301; and Dieter Thumm of Wolfschlugen in 1327. In the 17th century, Christopher Thomas appears as one of the earliest emigrants to New England aboard the ship Plaine Joan of London on 7 May 1635.
In contemporary times the surname is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. According to 2020 statistics, the name ranked 4,403rd in the United Kingdom, with roughly 4,000 bearers, while in the United States it was 7,779th, with about 12,000 individuals. Canada placed it at 3,115th with about 3,000 persons, and Australia at 6,690th with approximately 2,000. The name is concentrated in Northern Ireland – particularly Belfast, Antrim and Armagh – and in the United States in the states of Kentucky and Ohio.
Common variant spellings include Thom, Tom, Toms, Tomm and Thoms. The surname is also related to other patronymic forms such as Thomson, Thompson, Tomson, Thompkins, Thompso and Thomsen. While Thomson is the most popular spelling in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Thompson is the second most frequent in the United Kingdom and the most common in the United States. These variations all share the same Aramaic origin through the Christian name Thomas.
Throughout history, individuals bearing the surname Thom have migrated widely, spreading from the British Isles to North America, Canada, and Australasia. The distribution across these regions reflects the broader pattern of British and Irish emigration during the 19th and 20th centuries, ensuring that the name remains widespread throughout the English‑speaking world.
Typical given names associated with the Thom surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- George
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- William
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jean
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Thomas
- Thomerson
- Tomkin
- Tamlyn
- Tamplin
- Tompsett
- Thoms
- Thomlinson
- Tompson
- Taplin
- Thomason
- Tomkinson
- Toms
- Tompkins
- Tomlinson
- Thomson
- Thome
- Thoma
- Thomes
- Thombs
- Thomae
- Thommes
- Thomey
- Thomai
- Tho
- Tham
- Thame
- Thamia
- Thamm
- Theam
- Them
- Thema
- Theme
- Theuma
- Thiam
- Thiem
- Thieme
- Thiim
- Thim
- Thimm
- Thoem
- Thomaz
- Thomis
- Thommas
- Thomnay
- Thomos
- Thomps
- Thoume
- Thum
- Thumm
- Thumma
- Thym
- Thyme
- Toams
- Tohma
- Tohme
- Tom
- Toma
- Tomb
- Tombs
- Tome
- Tomes
- Tomi
- Tomm
- Tomms
- Tomo
- Tomu
- Tomy
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Thom in...
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There are approximately 3,770 people named Thom in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,470th most common surname in Britain. Around 58 in a million people in Britain are named Thom.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Thom
- Sandi Thom - Scottish singer
- Alexander Thom - Scottish engineer (1894 to 1985)
- Bing Thom - Canadian architect (1940 to 2016)
- Robert Absalom Thom - Locomotive engineer (1873 to 1955)
- Alexander Thom - Football player (1894 to 1973)
- Lewis Thom - Football player
- Wally Thom - Boxer (1926 to 1)
- Adam Thom - Canadian journalist (1802 to 1890)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.