Thompson Family History

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Thompson Name Meaning

English: patronymic from Thomas. Thompson is widely distributed throughout Britain, but is most common in northern England and northern Ireland. Americanized form of Thomsen.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Thomason, Tompson, Thomas, Tomson, Thomasson, Thomerson, Hampson

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Thompson Family Origin

Where is the Thompson family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Thompson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thompson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thompson families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 1,392 Thompson families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Thompson's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Thompson families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thompson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Thompson

    Thompson Family Occupations

    What did your Thompson ancestors do for a living?

    In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Thompson. 15% of Thompson men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Thompson women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thompson were Truck Driver and Teacher

    View Census data for Thompson | Data not to scale

    Top Male Occupations in 1940

    • Farmer
      15%
    • Laborer
      15%
    • Salesman
      4%
    • Truck Driver
      3%

    Top Female Occupations in 1940

    • Maid
      7%
    • Housekeeper
      6%
    • Housewife
      6%
    • Teacher
      6%

    *We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

    Thompson Historical Records

    What Thompson family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 4 million census records available for the last name Thompson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thompson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search US census records for Thompson

    Passenger List

    There are 662,000 immigration records available for the last name Thompson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Thompson immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 727,000 military records available for the last name Thompson. For the veterans among your Thompson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Thompson military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Thompson family history.

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    Thompson Life Expectancy

    What is the average Thompson lifespan?

    Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Thompson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Thompson in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thompson

    Famous Thompson Family Ancestors

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