This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor, 'the son of Thomas.' Thomas or Thome (whence Tom) was a universal favourite. The 13th and 14th century registers teem with it; v. Tomlin, Tomlinson, Thomson, Thompson, Tomkins, Tomkinson, Tombs, &c. (a) Bapt. 'the son of Thomasin' (q.v). The two have become mixed.

Roger fil. Thomas, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Richard Thomas, Suffolk, ibid.

Walter Thomas, Wiltshire, ibid.

William Thomas, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Adam Thomasson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Thomasson, 1379: ibid.

1582. Married — Thomas Bryse and Alyce Thomas: St. Michael, Cornhill.

— John Thome and Anne Thomasyne, widow: Marriage Lic. (London).

1801. Married — Thomas Wyatt and Nancy Thomason: St. George, Hanover Square.

1806. — John Baptiste Thomesin and Jane Prin: ibid.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Thomas.' The order is Thomas, nick. Tom, diminutive Thomelin or Tomlin, North or South-West English Tamlin, then with intrusive but inevitable, Tamplin; compare Thompson and Thomson from same root. v. Tomlin, Tamblyn, and Taplin.

William Tamlen, 1572: Reg. St. Colomb Major.

Constance Tamblyn, 1743: ibid.

The fem. Thomasine is invariably Tamson in the same register.

Tamson, d. of Joane Jenken, 1573: ibid.

Tamson, d. of John Adam, 1574: ibid.

1785. Married — Tames Mitchell and Sarah Tamplin: St. George, Hanover Square.

A common Anglo-Norman personal name. It is from the Syriac te-oma', Heb, to'am 'twin,' rendered by Greek Didymus in St. John, XI: 16. In Gaelic it assumes the forms Tómar Támhus, hence the Gaelic patronymics Mactavish, Maccombie, and Macomie, which see. As a surname in Scotland it is of late introduction from England. Thomas filius Maldoueny attested a deed of middle of thirteenth century (Neubotle, p. 27).

North. forms (with intrus. -p-) of Tomlin, q.v.

The Christian name. Though not used here prior to the Norman Conquest, this has become one of the commonest of baptismal appellatives and surnames. It has also been a most abundant source of derivatives and nicknames, represented in our family nomenclature by Thomason, Thomerson, Thomson, Thompson, Tompson, Thom, Thoms, Toms, Thomaset, Thomsett, Tomset, Tompsett, Tomkin, Tompkins, Tomkinson, Thompkisson, Thomlin, Tomlin, Tomlins, Thomlinson, Tomlinson. In the North, A commonly replaces O, and hence Thampsett, Tampsett, Tamlyn, Tamplin, and probably Taplin.

AP THOMAS: (Welsh.) The son of Thomas.

(Hebrew.) A twin.

Thomas. —The great home of this name is in Wales, more especially in South Wales, whence the name has spread in numbers into the adjacent English county of Monmouthshire, and to a less extent into Herefordshire and Shropshire. In the English counties forming the next line, it has, if we exclude Gloucestershire, obtained but little hold. Its further advance into England has been on a small scale, and it is probable that its isolated occurrence in the distant counties of Essex, Yorkshire, etc., may be explained on independent grounds. It has, however, a secondary but evidently an original home in Cornwall, where the name abounds.