Thomas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England-Alt 
  England 
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The roots of the surname Thomas lie in the rugged landscape of Wales. Thomas was a popular Medieval given throughout Europe, coming from the popular biblical name. It is ultimately derived from the Aramaic personal name meaning "twin." Prior to the Norman Conquest, this name was rarely found, but by the 13th and 14th centuries, it became extremely common in Britain.

Early Origins of the Thomas family

The surname Thomas was first found in Breconshire (Welsh: Sir Frycheiniog), a traditional county in southern Wales, which takes its name from the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog (5th-10th centuries), where the family claims descendance from Owen Glendower, Lord of Glyndwyrdwy, Prince of South Wales.

Early History of the Thomas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thomas research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1613, 1633, 1654, 1656, 1665, 1677, 1683, 1689 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Thomas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thomas Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Thomas has occasionally been spelled Thomas, Tomas, MacThomas, FitzThomas, Thomasett and others.

Early Notables of the Thomas family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Thomas World Ranking

In the United States, the name Thomas is the 12nd most popular surname with an estimated 773,457 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Thomas is ranked the 42nd most popular surname with an estimated 41,057 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Thomas is the 419th popular surname. 3 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Thomas as 187th with 219 people. 4 France ranks Thomas as 4th with 95,387 people. 5 Australia ranks Thomas as 13rd with 57,043 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Thomas as 26th with 5,802 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Thomas as 8th with 162,177 people. 8 Netherlands ranks Thomas as 689th with 2,710 people. 9 South Africa ranks Thomas as 203rd with 31,908 people. 10

Migration of the Thomas family to Ireland

Some of the Thomas family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Thomas migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Thomas

Thomas Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Thomas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Thomas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Thomas Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thomas Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
Thomas Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Thomas Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Thomas Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Thomas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Thomas Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Thomas migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Thomas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 27
Thomas Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Thomas (post 1700) +


The Thomas 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: I dduw bo'r diolch
Motto Translation: To God be thanks.


Suggested Readings for the name Thomas +
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