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Thompson Family History

Thompson Name Meaning

English: patronymic from the Middle English personal name T(h)om(me) (see Thom ) + -son ‘son of Tom’. Thomson is usually the Scottish form that with the intrusive -p- being English. Both forms are common in Ireland. The surname Thompson is also very common among African Americans. Americanized form of Danish Norwegian and North German Thomsen and of its Swedish cognate Thomsson. Compare Thomson .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Thomason, Tompson, Thomas, Tomson, Thomasson, Thomerson, Hampson

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Thompson family from?

You can see how Thompson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thompson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thompson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 17,300 Thompson families living in Yorkshire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Thompson's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Thompson families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thompson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Thompson ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thompson. 7% of Thompson men worked as a General Labourer and 64% of Thompson women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thompson were Incapacitated and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Thompson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%
  • Farmer
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    64%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Thompson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4 million census records available for the last name Thompson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thompson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thompson

Passenger Lists

There are 662,000 immigration records available for the last name Thompson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Thompson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 727,000 military records available for the last name Thompson. For the veterans among your Thompson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Thompson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Thompson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Thompson in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thompson

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