Thompson (surname)

Thompson is a patronymic surname of English and Scottish origin, with a variety of spellings meaning "son of Thom".^[2] An alternative origin may be geographical, arising from the placename Thompson.^[3] Thom(p)son is the English translation of MacTavish, which is the Anglicized Gaelic translation of MacTamhais.^[4][5] During the Plantation period, settlers carried the name to Ireland. It is the 14th most common surname in the United Kingdom and 17th most common in the United States.^[6] According to the 1990 United States Census, Thompson was the seventeenth most frequently reported surname, accounting for 0.27% of the population.^[7]

Notable people with the surname

• Addison Roswell Thompson (1911-1976), Louisiana segregationist politician
• Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born 1971), aka Questlove, African-American musician, DJ, and record producer
• Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson (born 2005), American reality television figure
• Alden Thompson, Christian theologian
• Andrew Thompson (catcher) (born 1846), baseball player
• Andrew Thompson (manager) (1845–1895), baseball manager
• Archie Thompson, Australian football (soccer) player for Melbourne Victory
• Ben Thompson (lawman) (1842–1884), gunfighter and gambler
• Benjamin Thompson (1753–1814), Anglo-American physicist, usually called "Count Rumford"
• Bill Thompson (New York), 42nd New York City Comptroller and presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor in 2014
• Bill Thompson (voice actor), voice actor who played 'Droopy Dog' and in a number of Disney films
• Bill Thompson (South Dakota politician), member of the South Dakota State House of Representatives
• Bill Thompson (Wyoming politician), member of the Wyoming State House of Representatives
• Bill Thompson (technology writer), UK technology writer
• Bill Thompson III, editor of Bird Watcher's Digest
• Bill Thompson (American football), former American football player
• Bill Thompson (English footballer)
• Bill Thompson (Scottish footballer)
• Bodene Thompson (born 1988), New Zealand Rugby League player
• Bradley Thompson, American television producer and writer
• Bryan Thompson (disambiguation)
• Cameron Thompson, Australian politician
• Cec Thompson, British rugby league footballer
• Charles C. Thompson, (born 1961) American Catholic bishop
• Charles Thompson (disambiguation), ( Cherokee name, Oochalata) Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
• Corey Thompson, (born 1990), Australian Rugby League player
• D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1860–1948), Scottish biologist and mathematician
• Daley Thompson (born 1958), twice Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon
• Dan Thompson (swimmer) (born 1956), Canadian butterfly swimmer
• Dave Thompson (comedian), British standup comedian
• David Thompson (disambiguation), numerous people, including:
  • David Thompson (explorer) (1770–1857), Canadian explorer
• Des Thompson (born 1928), English footballer
• Dicky Thompson (born 1957), American professional golfer
• Duncan Thompson, Australian rugby league footballer
• Eddie Thompson, Scottish businessman and chairman of Dundee United F.C.
• Edward Thompson (engineer) (1881–1949), English steam locomotive engineer for the LNER
• Elsie Thompson (born 1899), American supercentenarian
• Emma Thompson (born 1959), British actress
• E. P. Thompson (1924–1993), British 'new-left' historian
• Eric Thompson (born 1980), Canadian professional wrestler better known as Viktor or Rick Victor
• Fred Thompson (born 1942), former U.S. Republican senator (Tennessee), film/TV actor, 2008 U.S. presidential candidate
• Fred Thompson (footballer) (born c.1875), English footballer
• Fred Thompson (rower) (1910–1971), New Zealand rower
• Francis Thompson (1859–1907), English poet
• Gary Thompson (basketball), American basketball player
• Georgia Thompson, Wisconsin civil servant wrongfully convicted of corruption, but later exonerated
• Georgie Thompson (born 1977), British broadcast journalist and television presenter
• Greg Thompson (born 1947), Canadian politician
• Gregg Thompson, U. S. soccer player
• Gregg Thompson (astronomer), Australian astronomer
• Gwen Thompson, Canadian violinist
• Lady Gwen Thompson (1928–1986), American witchcraft author
• Hank Thompson (musician) (1925-2007), American country music entertainer
• Helen F. Thompson, American businesswoman, teacher, and politician
• Hank Thompson, several people
• Harry Thompson, several people
• Henry Thompson, several people
• Hugh Thompson, Jr., U.S. Army helicopter pilot, known for saving lives at the My Lai Massacre
• Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005), U.S. journalist and author
• Jack Thompson (attorney) (born 1951), U.S. Lawyer and anti-videogame activist
• James R. Thompson (born 1936), longest-serving governor of State of Illinois
• Jeff R. Thompson (born 1965), Louisiana politician
• Jennifer Laura Thompson (born 1969), American stage actress and singer
• Jerry Thompson, American investigative reporter and KKK infiltrator
• Jerry D. Thompson (born 1943), historian
• Jim Thompson (writer) (1906–1977), U.S. pulp fiction writer
• Joe Thompson, rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1910s, '20s and '30s
• John Thompson (disambiguation), numerous people, including:
  • John Thompson (basketball) (born 1941), All-America basketball player and longtime basketball coach for Georgetown University, who coached the Hoyas to the 1984 NCAA Men's title
  • John Sparrow David Thompson (1845–1894), former Prime Minister of Canada
• Jonathan Thompson, British television presenter, actor and entrepreneur
• Jonathan Thompson (Collector) (1773–1846), New York banker and politician
• Jordan Thompson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Joseph Thompson (disambiguation), multiple people
• Judith Thompson, Canadian playwright
• Kamila Thompson, British singer-songwriter
• Kate Thompson (author), author of The New Policeman
• Ken Thompson (born 1943), aka "ken" U.S. computer scientist, designed and implemented the original Unix
• Kenan Thompson, American actor
• Kirt Thompson (born 1967), Trinidad and Tobago javelin thrower
• L. F. Thompson, (1827–1894), American politician
• Laird A. Thompson (born 1947), American astronomer
• LaMarcus Adna Thompson (1848–1919), known for his early work developing roller coasters, sometimes called the "Father of Gravity"
• Larry Thompson (disambiguation), various people with this name
• Lea Thompson (born 1961), American actress and director
• Lee Thompson (saxophonist) (born 1947), member of the UK band Madness
• Leonard Thompson, British professional footballer
• Lexi Thompson (born 1995), American golfer
• Libby Thompson (1855–1953), frontier prostitute and madam
• Lincoln Thompson, Jamaican reggae artist
• Linda Chavez-Thompson, American union leader
• Llewellyn Thompson, U.S. Ambassador to Austria and Soviet Union
• Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC
• Mickey Thompson, race car driver, promoter
• Mildred Thompson (1935–2003) American painter, sculptor and printmaker
• Morris Thompson, American politician and businessman
• Mychal Thompson, retired National Basketball Association player
• Nainoa Thompson, Hawaiian navigator
• Nathan Thompson (Australian footballer) (born 1978), Australian rules footballer
• Nathan Thompson (English footballer) (born 1990), English professional footballer
• Patricia Thompson, TV and Film Producer
• Paul Thompson (disambiguation), various people with this name
• Peyton Thompson (born 1990), American football player
• Porl Thompson, musician in The Cure
• Randall Thompson (1899–1984), American composer
• Reginald Campbell Thompson (1876–1941), British archaeologist and epigraphist
• Richard Thompson (musician), British musician
• Richard Horner Thompson (born 1926), U.S. Army general
• Richard H. Thompson (philatelist), philatelist from Baltimore, Maryland
• Richard S. Thompson (1916–1997), Louisiana state legislator
• Rob Thompson (musician)
• Robert Thompson (disambiguation), various people with this name
• Roly Thompson (1932–2003), English cricketer
• Ron Thompson, American actor
• Ruth Thompson, first female state representative of Michigan, first female U.S. Representative from Michigan
• Sada Thompson (born 1929), American actress
• Saige Thompson, American actress
• Sarah Thompson (actress) (born 1979), American actress
• Sarah Thompson, Countess Rumford (1774–1852), first American countess
• Sean Thompson (born 1981), English Games Developer
• Scott Thompson (born 1959), Canadian television comedian
• Scottie Thompson (born Susan Scott Thompson, 1981), American actress
• Sheldon Thompson (1785–1851), American politician from Buffalo, New York
• Silvanus P. Thompson (1851–1916), English physicist
• Soren Thompson (born 1981), American épée fencer
• Steve Thompson (disambiguation)
• Susanna Thompson (born 1958), American television and film actress
• Teddy Thompson, British musician
• Thomas Thompson (disambiguation), numerous people, including:
  • Thomas L. Thompson, Old Testament scholar
  • Tom Thompson, Oldest college football player
  • Tommy Thompson, Former Governor of Wisconsin, Former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, and one-time candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
• Tiny Thompson (1905–1981), Canadian professional ice hockey goalie
• William Thompson (disambiguation), various people with this name
• Whitney Thompson, fashion model, winner of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
• Woodrow R. Thompson (1919–1942), United States Marine Corps sergeant and posthumous Navy Cross recipient
• Wright Thompson (born 1976), American sportswriter
• Zadock Thompson (1796–1856), Vermont naturalist
• Zoe Thompson New Zealand international football (soccer) player

References

See also

• Thompson (disambiguation)
• Thomson (surname)
• Thomsen
• MacTavish