2000
#19
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 644,368
First available Census row
Per 100,000 238.87
Very Common Last name
Thompson
An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Thomas," derived from the medieval personal name of Biblical origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 734,018 Americans carry the last name Thompson. That puts it at #23 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 214.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thompson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thompson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
734K
1 in 467
Census rank
#23
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
214.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
640K
very common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 640,099 bearers of the surname Thompson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 214.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompson, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thompson
The surname Thompson is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name derived from the given name Thomas, which comes from the Aramaic name Ta'oma, meaning "twin." The suffix "-son" was commonly added to create patronymic surnames in medieval England, indicating the bearer's family lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Thompson surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219, where it is spelled as "Tomas filius Thomae" (Thomas, son of Thomas). It is believed that the surname arose independently in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland.
In the 13th century, the surname Thompson is found in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire (1273), where it is spelled as "Thomasune." This variation highlights the fluidity of spelling during that period, as surnames were still establishing their standardized forms.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname Thompson. However, it does mention several individuals with the given name Thomas, indicating the potential for the surname's later development.
Notable historical figures with the surname Thompson include:
1. William Thompson (c. 1675-1737), an English-born poet and critic who was a key figure in the Augustan literary circle.
2. Benjamin Thompson (1753-1814), an American-born inventor and physicist, also known as Count Rumford, who made significant contributions to the fields of heat and energy.
3. William Butterworth Thompson (1805-1874), an English-born surveyor and explorer who conducted extensive surveys in British Columbia, Canada.
4. Sir John Sparrow David Thompson (1845-1894), a Canadian lawyer, teacher, and politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Canada from 1892 to 1894.
5. Hunter Stockton Thompson (1937-2005), an American journalist and author, known for his pioneering work in gonzo journalism and books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."
The surname Thompson has also been associated with various place names in England, including Thompsons Close in Berkshire, Thompson's Green in Hertfordshire, and Thompson Hill in Dorset. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Thompson surname who lived or held lands in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thompson
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompson, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Thompson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Thompson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.1% · 429,753
- Black or African American22.9% · 146,892
- Two or more races4.6% · 29,433
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 22,219
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 7,240
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4,562
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thompson
Thompson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#23
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 664,644
+20,276 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 225.32
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#23
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 640,099
-24,545 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 214.15
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19 | 644,368 | 238.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23 | 664,644 | 225.32 | +20,276 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #23 | 640,099 | 214.15 | -24,545 bearers (-3.7%) | No rank change |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Thompson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23 | #23 | 0.0% |
| Count | 664,644 | 640,099 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 225.32 | 214.15 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thompson bearers went from 664,644 to 640,099 (-3.7% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #23.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thompson
FAQ
Thompson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thompson?
Name Census estimates that about 734,018 living Americans carry the surname Thompson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 467 residents.
How common is Thompson?
Thompson ranks #23 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 214.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 214 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 640,099 people with the surname Thompson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (734,018), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 214.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 214.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 214 of them to have the surname Thompson.
Has Thompson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thompson went from 664,644 recorded bearers to 640,099. That is a decrease of 24,545 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it stayed at #23.
What does the Census say about the background of Thompson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thompson, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thompson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.1% (429,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thompson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.1%), Black (22.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Thompson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Thompson mean?
An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Thomas," derived from the medieval personal name of Biblical origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Thompson (214.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Thompson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.