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Thompsen History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Thompsen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Denmark
Scotland
Ireland
England

The roots of the distinguished surname Thompsen can be found in Scotland. The name is derived from the popular given name Thomas, an Aramaic name meaning "twin," and refers to "a son of Thomas or Thom." 1 The spelling of the name with a "p" distinguishes the family from the Thomsons, who were a Scottish Clan originally known as MacThomais.

Early Origins of the Thompsen family

The surname Thompsen was first found in Cumberland, where the Thompsen family held a family seat from ancient times. However, some of the family were found at Shotton in Durham. "The family of Thompson held property here, chiefly by copy of court-roll, at least as early as the reign of Elizabeth; and from them the estate came by marriage, in the middle of the last century, to the Brandlings." 2

"This name is distributed over the greater part of England, but is rare or absent in the south (south of a line joining London and Bristol). Its great home is in the north, in the region north of a line connecting the Humber with Morecambe Bay, and Northumberland in particular is pre-eminent for the number of its Thompsons. It extends in force in its Scottish form of Thomson across the border into Dumfriesshire, Roxburghshire, and is very numerous over a large part of Scotland, but particularly in the region south of the Forth and the Clyde. As we trace it southward from its northern home, we find its numbers rapidly diminishing. It is, however, well represented in the midlands. Further south, again, as above remarked, it becomes rare or dies out altogether." 3

Early History of the Thompsen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thompsen research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1614, 1625, 1639, 1659, 1661, 1663, 1668, 1673, 1679, 1681, 1683, 1689, 1690, 1693, 1695, 1698, 1700, 1701 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Thompsen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thompsen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tompson, Thompson and others.

Early Notables of the Thompsen family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir William Thompson (1614-1681), English politician, Member of Parliament for the City of London (1661 to 1679); Sir Henry Thompson (ca. 1625-1683) was an English wine merchant and politician, Lord Mayor of York (1663), Member of Parliament for York (1673-1683); and his son, Henry Thompson (1659-1700), an English landowner and politician; and his...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thompsen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thompsen family to Ireland

Some of the Thompsen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thompsen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thompsen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fredk K Thompsen, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1854 4
I D Thompsen, who arrived in Arkansas in 1879 4
Charlotte J. Thompsen, aged 35, who immigrated to America, in 1893
Christian Thompsen, aged 30, who landed in America from Frederikshaven, in 1893

Thompsen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Thompsen, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Rausstad, Norway, in 1908
Anna Thompsen, aged 23, who landed in America from Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1908
Anna Thompsen, aged 16, who immigrated to the United States from Sogm Chrsand, Norway, in 1910
Adolf Thompsen, aged 46, who immigrated to America, in 1910
Andrea Thompsen, aged 26, who landed in America from Saanum Pr Mandal, Norway, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thompsen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thompsen Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Annie Thompsen, aged 4, who immigrated to Nanaimo, Canada, in 1915

Contemporary Notables of the name Thompsen (post 1700) +

Jarod Thompsen, American actor
Paul Arnt Thompsen (b. 1928), Danish-born, American Hollywood production designer

The Thompsen Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nosce teipsum
Motto Translation: Know thyself.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)