由来と歴史

Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Thomas', from the Aramaic name 'Toma' meaning 'twin'. Thomas became popular in medieval Scotland through the cult of Saint Thomas Becket after his martyrdom in 1170, and the '-son' suffix followed Scandinavian patronymic convention widely used in Scotland. The Scottish spelling 'Thomson' (without the 'p') distinguishes it from the English 'Thompson', and it is among the most distinctively Scottish forms of the name. It is particularly prevalent in the east coast burghs and the Lothians.