Fun Facts About the Name Thompson
- More than 2 thousand babies named Thompson: U.S. records list 2,748 babies given the name Thompson from 1880 through 2025. Even 23 girls received the name Thompson - about 1 girl for every 118 boys.
What Does the Name Thompson Mean?
Thompson is an English and Scottish surname of patronymic origin, meaning "son of Thom," where Thom is a medieval short form of the given name Thomas. The second element, -son, is the ordinary English patronymic suffix that identifies a person by the father's name.
Thomas itself comes from Aramaic t'oma, related to Hebrew te'om, meaning "twin." The name entered Greek as Thōmas and Latin as Thomas, and it was that Latin form, not the Aramaic original, that English inherited. The literal sense of the surname is therefore "son of Thomas," while the older meaning behind Thomas is "twin."
Thompson Name History & Origins
Patronymic surnames of this kind became hereditary in England roughly between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, and Thompson belongs to that development. The given name Thomas was already in use in England by the twelfth century, and its frequency grew in part through the cult of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury murdered in 1170, who became one of medieval England's most widely venerated saints.
Early spellings include Thomasson and Tomson. Both Thompson, with a p, and Thomson, without one, survive today. The p is not present in Thomas and appears to have been inserted in speech between the m and the following s, a familiar type of sound change in English. Thomson without the p is especially associated with Scotland, but the two spellings were never cleanly divided by region.
In the Scottish Highlands, Thompson was also used to anglicize the Gaelic patronymic Mac Thomaidh, the name behind clan MacThomas. In Ireland, Mac Thomáis was likewise sometimes rendered as Thompson. Separately, Thompson has been used as a given name in English-speaking countries, generally taken directly from the surname.
How Popular is the Name Thompson?
Thompson recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2018. Its best rank was #742 in 1887.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #17,051 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #17,413 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #12,143 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #18,212 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,359 | 59 | 0.0035% |
| 2024 | #2,934 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2023 | #3,463 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2022 | #2,643 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2021 | #2,296 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2020 | #2,542 | 51 | 0.0030% |
| 2019 | #2,286 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2018 | #1,956 | 76 | 0.0042% |
| 2017 | #2,379 | 55 | 0.0030% |
| 2016 | #2,512 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2015 | #2,352 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 2014 | #3,084 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2013 | #3,331 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2012 | #3,168 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2011 | #3,972 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2010 | #3,066 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2009 | #3,469 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 2008 | #3,555 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 2007 | #3,128 | 37 | 0.0018% |
| 2006 | #3,772 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #3,445 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #2,784 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 2003 | #3,109 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2002 | #5,692 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #3,712 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #3,068 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1999 | #2,661 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1998 | #3,291 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #2,973 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #3,661 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #3,543 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #2,936 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,394 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1992 | #4,085 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #3,099 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #2,621 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1989 | #2,144 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #2,674 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1987 | #3,324 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #2,594 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #6,462 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #3,440 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #3,612 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #2,699 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #7,192 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #2,948 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1979 | #2,560 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #3,826 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #3,583 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #2,810 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #3,064 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #4,588 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #2,597 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1972 | #3,324 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #4,340 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #2,877 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #2,672 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #2,561 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1967 | #2,340 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #3,224 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #2,067 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1964 | #1,893 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1963 | #2,526 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #2,493 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1961 | #1,994 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #2,303 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1959 | #2,100 | 16 | 0.0007% |
| 1958 | #1,764 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1957 | #1,883 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1956 | #1,812 | 20 | 0.0009% |
| 1955 | #1,972 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #2,038 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1953 | #2,178 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1952 | #1,657 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1951 | #1,372 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1950 | #1,612 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1949 | #1,577 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1948 | #1,399 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1947 | #1,984 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1946 | #1,753 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1945 | #1,625 | 18 | 0.0013% |
| 1944 | #1,476 | 22 | 0.0016% |
| 1943 | #1,902 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1942 | #1,493 | 23 | 0.0017% |
| 1941 | #1,480 | 22 | 0.0018% |
| 1940 | #1,621 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1939 | #1,574 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1938 | #1,809 | 16 | 0.0014% |
| 1937 | #1,743 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1936 | #1,956 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1935 | #2,699 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1934 | #1,780 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1933 | #1,699 | 18 | 0.0018% |
| 1932 | #2,183 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1931 | #2,452 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1930 | #1,530 | 24 | 0.0022% |
| 1929 | #1,668 | 21 | 0.0020% |
| 1928 | #1,956 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1927 | #2,185 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1926 | #1,655 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1925 | #1,863 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1924 | #1,453 | 28 | 0.0025% |
| 1923 | #1,937 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1922 | #1,877 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1921 | #1,894 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1920 | #1,377 | 29 | 0.0027% |
| 1919 | #2,051 | 16 | 0.0016% |
| 1918 | #1,251 | 32 | 0.0032% |
| 1917 | #1,892 | 17 | 0.0018% |
| 1916 | #1,370 | 26 | 0.0029% |
| 1915 | #1,339 | 26 | 0.0031% |
| 1914 | #1,766 | 14 | 0.0021% |
| 1913 | #2,253 | 8 | 0.0016% |
| 1912 | #1,414 | 13 | 0.0030% |
| 1911 | #1,718 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1910 | #1,111 | 10 | 0.0051% |
| 1909 | #1,660 | 5 | 0.0030% |
| 1907 | #1,084 | 8 | 0.0054% |
| 1905 | #1,409 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1902 | #1,130 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1899 | #1,043 | 6 | 0.0056% |
| 1898 | #1,276 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1896 | #974 | 7 | 0.0059% |
| 1895 | #867 | 8 | 0.0068% |
| 1894 | #1,221 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1891 | #761 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1887 | #742 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1882 | #1,081 | 5 | 0.0044% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Thompson Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Thompson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Thompson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.