Show ContentsThombs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

While many of Irish names are quite familiar to most, their original Gaelic forms are often forgotten and mysterious. The original Gaelic form of the name Thombs is Ó Tuama.

Early Origins of the Thombs family

The surname Thombs was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. This ancient family name was descended from Tuaim Snama, an eighth century King of Osraigi, and were presumably of Dalcassian origin. They were descended through Mathghamhain, the brother of Brian Boru. Although this tribe of Toomey held a family seat in Cork in the 14th century, they are believed to be descended from the Dal Cais to the north.

Early History of the Thombs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thombs research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1478, 1603, 1640, 1653, 1659, 1676, 1702, 1706 and 1730 are included under the topic Early Thombs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thombs Spelling Variations

The scribes and church officials of the Middle Ages who recorded names in official documents spelled the names as they sounded. This led to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations and thus resembling more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Thombs that are preserved in archival documents of this era include Toomie, O'Toomie, Twomey, O'Twomey, Twomy, O'Twomy, Twony, Toomey, O'Toomey, Toomy, O'Toomy, Twomie, O'Twomie, Twome, O'Twome, Toomee, O'Toomee, Tome, O'Tome, Thomey, O'Thomey, Thoume, O'Thoume, Thomey, O'Thomey, Tumey, O'Tumey, Tumee and many more.

Early Notables of the Thombs family

More information is included under the topic Early Thombs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Thombs migration to the United States +

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the late 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape such hunger and disease. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Thombs:

Thombs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Thombs, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Thombs (post 1700) +

  • Ray C. Thombs, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Effingham, 1948 2
  • Lady Thombs, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 91st District, 2012 2
  • George W. Thombs, American Republican politician, Member of Maine State Senate 10th District, 1919-22 2


The Thombs 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: Fortis undis et armis
Motto Translation: Waves and strong arms


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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