Thomsen
A Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning “son of Thom,” ultimately from the name Thomas.
The #4,635 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,338 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Thomsen is a patronymic surname built from the short form Thom- plus the Scandinavian and North German suffix -sen, meaning “son of.” The personal name behind it is Thomas, from Aramaic, meaning “twin.” In practice, Thomsen arose independently in several northern European naming traditions, especially in Denmark and the Schleswig/Low German borderlands.
History
The surname is common in Denmark and in areas of northern Germany with strong Danish or Low German naming patterns, especially Schleswig. Historical references show it clustered among families using -sen surnames, a very typical Scandinavian patronymic formation. In English-speaking countries, Thomsen often reflects immigration from Denmark, Germany, or Norway, and it may coexist with the related form Thomson.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The related surname Thomson is especially well known in Scotland, while Thomsen is the form more strongly associated with Denmark and northern Germany.
From the historical record
“dahin mehr vereinzelten Zusammensetzungen auf -sen, je weiter nach Norden, desto stärker hervor, namentlich im Herzogtum Schleswig, bis in den Kreisen Husum und Tondem die Hansen, Thomsen und Nissen^ Chri- stiansen und Oidionsen^ Deilefsen und Himichsen alles so überwuchern, daß sie fast 90 v. H. aller…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen