Thompson (surname)
Thompson is a variant spelling of Thomson and likewise, it is a patronymic surname of Scottish origin, with a variety of spellings, originally meaning "son of Thom(as)". An alternative origin may be geographical, arising from the placename Thompson. During the Plantation period, settlers carried the name to Ireland. Thom(p)son is also the English translation of MacTavish, which is the Anglicised version of the Gaelic name MacTamhais. According to the 2010 United States Census, Thompson was the 23rd most frequently reported surname, accounting for 0.23% of the population.