Origins of the Thomas surname

What does the name Thomas mean?

The origin of the Thomas surname is varied and it has arisen independently in a number of different locations. Thomas is the twelfth most popular surname in the United States, and third most common name in France, though also is widely found in the rest of the English-speaking world (particularly in Wales and Cornwall). Thomas has biblical origins, as one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, but also has patronymic roots as 'the son of Thomas'.

Alternative variations of the name Thomas

Thomas, Tomas, Thoms, Thomass, Toms

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Delve deeper into the Thomas family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1571North West 3272Isle of Man 66Yorkshire 4012East Midlands 551West Midlands 3816East 2575London 11973South East 5061South West 49092South Wales 9328Mid Wales 14798West Wales 471North Wales 5197Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Thomases lived in south-west

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

190,000 Thomas Travel & migration records
1,200,000 Thomases found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Thomas

How common is your surname?

9th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Thomas surname. The oldest one dates back to 1100.

Who were Thomases most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Thomases.

What are the most common Thomas first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Thomas family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Thomases

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Thomases in 1921

Dressmaker

7,150

General Servant Domestic

3,554

House Servant

3,522

Domestic Servant

3,342

General Servant

3,140

Common male occupations for Thomases in 1921

Coal Miner

10,510

Farmer

7,812

Coal Miner Hewer

5,656

Carpenter

3,783

General Labourer

3,734

We found over 840,000 family trees with the Thomas surname

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