Thompson / Thomson

[Sharon52]

Could Thompson / Thomson be a Scotish name? Have been researching the Irish, Welsh Geneologies also. Found information that the name Thompson is a Norman name. Does anyone know where I can find out more about the Norman peoples. First I have heard of these people would like to learn more of their history.Any help would be greatly apprecitaed.Trying to find out if the name Thompson is actually Scotish, Irish, Welsh.

[Mamie]

Normans are people of Scandinavian ancestry that settled in the what is now Normandy in France. The Normans led by Willian Duke of Normandy invaded the United Kingdom in 1066 and displaced many of the "British" and Saxons actually several groups in the countries of England, Scotland and Wales.

Many of the nobles that supported William aka The Connqueror were given lands throughout the United Kingdom as a reward for their time and money in allowing the United Kingdom to be taken from Harald. Harald (Godwinson)could have been the King but lost the war at the Battle of Hastings. The battle is depicted on the very famous Bayeaux Tapestry.

Do a search on any of these terms and you should get some information from the internet plus there must be lots of books about it.

Thomson is a sept of Clan Mactavish. The link is a clan history. Somewhere on Electric Scotland website is an explanation of what a sept of a clan is as well.

http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/mactavi.html

[Polwarth]

These names are also claimed as sept by a number of clans, including the Campbells and the MacThomas clans. Thomson is a patronymic surname and is common in many European countries, particularly Scandinavia. Thomas is a very common surname in Wales, too - as well as in England. It is also an established Irish name, as well as Scots-Irish.

The MacTavish clan is one of the smallest. If you do a name search on the name MacT in Scotland, you would be amazed at how few there are! It has only recently been accepted as such by the Lord Lyon (late 1990s I have read). Their Chief is a Canadian, now living in Florida - and, according to many reports on the net amongst Scottish groups - their claims are often not backed up by facts - I have no knowledge of whether or not this is true.

Sharon, I suggest that you contact the CCSNA (Clan Campbell Society of North America) - sorry, I don't have the URL to hand - and see what they say about Thomson/Thompson surnames.

As Mamie says, you MAY well be part of Clan MacTavish, but I urge you to find out as much as you can about the contretemps about the Thomson/Thompson surnames before entering the fray!

I wish you well in your search - and that you find answers to all your questions

[Marhar]

In my little book it says Thompson is the English way of Spelling Thomson
Marhar

[Mamie]

Clan MacTavish/Thompson Worldwide

Recognized Surname(s):
MacTavish
Thompson
Thomson
Thomason
Thomas
Todd
MacLaws
MacLehose
MacTause
Taweson

Contact:
Clan MacTavish/Thompson Worldwide
PO. Box 27072
Ottawa, ONT K1J-9L9 Canada
Note: Anyone wishing to talk directly to the the Clan Chief Dugald MacTavish
may call him directly at 613-523-0945.

[Mamie]

Clan Campbell Society, North America

Recognized Surname(s):
ARTHUR BANNATYNE BURNES BURNESS BURNETT
BURNS CADDELL CADELL CALDER CATTELL
CONNOCHIE CONOCHIE DENOON DENUNE GIBBON
GIBSON HARRES HARRIS HASTINGS HAWES
HAWS HAWSON ISAAC ISAACS IVERSON
KELLAR KELLER KISSACK KISSOCK LORNE
LOUDEN LOUDON LOUDOUN LOWDEN MACARTAIR
MACARTHUR MACCARTER MACCOLM MACCOLMBE MACCONACHIE
MACCONCHIE MACCONNECHY MACCONOCHIE MACDERMID MACDERMOTT
MACDIARMID MACELLER MACELVIE MACEVER MACGIBBON
MACGLASRICH MACGUBBIN MACGURE MACISAAC MACIVER
MACIVOR MACKELLAR MACKELVIE MACKERLIE MACKESSACK
MACKESSOCK MACKISSOCK MACLAWS MACLEHOSE MACNICHOL
MACNOCAIRD MACONACHIE MACORAN MACOWEN MACPHEDRAN
MACPHUN MACTAUSE MACTAVISH MACTHOMAS MACURE
MOORE MUIR OCHILTREE ORR PINKERTON
TAWESON TAWESSON THOMAS THOMASON THOMPSON
THOMSON TORRIE TORRY URE

Additional Info:
An individual only need prove an ancestor with a name on the recognized list
for admission into the society.

Contact:
Walter J. Campbell
6412 Newcastle Rd.
Fayetteville, NC 28303-2137
Phone: 910-867-4231

Now I don't know if the contact information from the list i got it from is current or not.

http://www.ccsna.org is their webpage

If you do a search on Clan Campbell Society you will come up with thousands of links to pursue.

[Polwarth]

Mr S Dugald MacTavish, chief of the Clan MacTavish is no longer in Canada (although a Canadian citizen) - he is now resident in Florida - I think the info you posted is out of date by a few years.

A couple of years ago, I was in touch with Alistair, the guy who owns the Electric Scotland site, and he confirms that anything on his site is written by posters, but not checked out by his organisation.... he therefore recommends that any information on his site is verified by comparisons elsewhere!

The whole Thomson/Thompson issue is a quagmire, which makes me grateful it isn't my name! However, I have a couple of Thomson friends who have been severely burnt by the argument.... as we Scots would say to any Thomson/Thompson 'caw canny'