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FAMILY NAME ORIGIN
The
Thomas surname is found throughout the United Kingdom. It
is of patronymic origin, being one of those surnames
based on the first name of the father. In this
case, it simply means "son of Thomas". The
personal name Thomas is, in turn, a biblical name which
means "twin" in Aramaic.
Before the Norman Conquest of 1066,
the personal name Thomas was found as a priest's name,
but following the Conquest, it became an extremely
popular first-name in both England and Wales.
Although the surname Thomas is found
in many countries, it has always been
particularly associated with South Wales.
Hereditary surnames in Wales are a post-sixteenth century
development. It was only in the reign of Henry VIII
that surnames began to be hereditary among the gentry
of Wales and the custom spread among the rest of
the population. The normal type of Welsh surname
was patronymic, Evans, Williams and Thomas being
amongst the best examples of this. Within Wales,
the personal name Thomas, or as it is generally rendered
Tomas, has always been particularly popular, thus it
was inevitable that it would be used in the new system of
identification.
Descendants of William THOMAS
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