THOMS
The surname Thoms is of dual origin, deriving both from the Aramaic personal name Teoma – which translates as twin – and from a Scottish patronymic tradition in which the suffix s denotes a descendant of a husband or father named Thomas.
In medieval England the name Thomas entered mainstream usage following the Norman Conquest, where it rapidly supplanted the earlier priestly form that had been recorded only in ecclesiastical registers. The name is that of one of Christ’s apostles, which explains its widespread Christian adoption throughout the British Isles. The diminutive Tom gave rise to a number of patronymic surnames, with Thoms appearing as “son of Thom” in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, where a John Thoms is documented.
The surname is predominantly found in Scotland, where it is an Anglicised version of the Scottish MacThomas. A related medieval variant, Thom, was also regularly employed. Other spellings that have persisted through history include Thome, Thomes and, in some cases, the simplification to Thom or Tom.
The name has spread beyond the United Kingdom. In Germany it is ranked at the 27th most common surname, and it can be encountered throughout Germanic states and the United States – ranking 731st in overall popularity in the latter country as of recent census data – particularly in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and California. It is also present in Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, and other northern European countries, reflecting the broader historical popularity of the Christian given name Thomas.
Notable bearers of the name include William John Thoms (1803–1885), an antiquary and deputy‑librarian of the House of Lords, whose scholarly work contributed significantly to the preservation of medieval manuscripts in the 19th century.
For genealogical inquiry, it is useful to consider the array of cognates and regional variants that arise from the same patronymic root. The list of potential cognates includes Thom, Tom, Tomm, Thomm, Tham, Thamme, Thuemmler, Thomson and Thompson, with some of these terms appearing distinctly in the Midlands, East Anglia or Kent. Variants such as Thome and Thommes are found in France, whereas Scandinavian forms like Thomsen (and its derivatives Thorman, Thorns, Torsen, Thorson) indicate a possible migration or linguistic overlap across the Norse sphere. In Ireland and parts of western Europe, the surname may appear as Thomage, chiefly recorded in counties Kerry and Cork.
Typical given names associated with the Thoms surname
Male
- Adrian
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Graham
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Neil
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Russell
- William
Female
- Amanda
- Angela
- Catherine
- Cushla
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Thom
- Thomas
- Thomerson
- Tomkin
- Tamlyn
- Tamplin
- Tompsett
- Thomlinson
- Tompson
- Taplin
- Thomason
- Tomkinson
- Toms
- Tompkins
- Tomlinson
- Thomson
- Thomes
- Thommes
- Thome
- Thombs
- Thoma
- Thoams
- Thomey
- Thomae
- Thomis
- Thommas
- Thomaz
- Thomso
- Thomos
- Toams
- Tohme
- Tom
- Tombs
- Tomes
- Tomms
- Thomai
- Thomass
- Thomps
- Tohma
- Tomas
- Tomb
- Tome
- Tomis
- Tomks
- Tomm
- Tommas
- Tommis
- Tomos
- Tomse
- Tomys
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Thoms in...
Braille
⠞⠓⠕⠍⠎
Morse
-....-----...
Semaphore
There are approximately 769 people named Thoms in the UK. That makes it roughly the 9,048th most common surname in Britain. Around 12 in a million people in Britain are named Thoms.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
