Show ContentsThomasson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Thomasson

What does the name Thomasson mean?

The origins of the ancient name Thomasson belong to that rich Celtic tradition that comes from Wales. This surname was derived from the Aramaic personal name Thomas, which means twin. Prior to the Norman Conquest, this name was rarely found, but by the 13th and 14th centuries, it became extremely common in Britain. The surname Thomasson features the patronymic suffix -son, which superseded other patronymic suffixes in popularity by the 14th century and was most common in the north of England.

Early Origins of the Thomasson family

The surname Thomasson was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Thomasson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thomasson research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1666 is included under the topic Early Thomasson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thomasson Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Thomasson have included Thomason, Thomasson, Thomerson, Thomoson and others.

Early Notables of the Thomasson family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thomasson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thomasson Ranking

In the United States, the name Thomasson is the 8,687th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Thomasson is ranked the 8,640th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2


Thomasson migration to the United States +

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Thomasson:

Thomasson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Martin Thomasson, who arrived in Delaware in 1641 3
  • Olle Thomasson, who arrived in Delaware in 1693 3
  • Otto Thomasson, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1693 3
Thomasson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Claude Thomasson, who landed in Louisiana in 1805-1809 3
  • A. G. Thomasson, who settled in New York State in 1823
  • A. G. Thomasson, who settled in New York in 1823
  • Pehr Thomasson, who arrived in New York in 1850 3
  • Ola Thomasson, aged 24, who landed in America in 1854 3

Thomasson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thomasson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Olle Thomasson, who settled in Quebec in 1758

Thomasson 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:

Thomasson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Thomasson, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Tongariro" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand in 1887 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Thomasson (post 1700) +

  • Benny Thomasson (1909-1984), American fiddler 5
  • Gary Leah Thomasson (b. 1951), American former outfielder in Major League Baseball 6
  • Hugh Edward "Hughie" Thomasson (1952-2007), American guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd 7
  • William Poindexter Thomasson (1797-1882), American politician, Member of Kentucky State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 7th District, 1843-47 8
  • Tisha L. Thomasson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 2000 8
  • Marvin Thomasson, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 14th District, 1934 8
  • John H. Thomasson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1888 8
  • J. A. Thomasson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1880 8
  • Thomas Thomasson (1808-1876), English manufacturer and political economist, born at Turton, near Bolton
  • Sarah Margareta Thomasson (1925-1996), Swedish Alpine skier 9


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. Benny Thomasson. (Retrieved 2011, January 24) Benny Thomasson. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Thomasson
  6. Gary Thomasson. (Retrieved 2011, January 24) Gary Thomasson. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Thomasson
  7. Hugh Thomasson. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Hugh Thomasson. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughie_Thomasson
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Sarah Thomasson. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Sarah Thomasson. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Thomasson


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