Thoms is one of the main Sept Names of Clan
MacThomas, and is generally accepted as originating in
Dundee.
The name
only developed in the late 18th century and the families who
adopted the name were previously called Thom, or in the
relation to the Chief's early 18th century ancestors,
Thomas.
There are
some instances where one branch of a family adopted the name
Thoms while other branches still continued to be named
Thom.
In the
middle of the 20th century over 70% of all Thoms living in
Scotland were residing in the Dundee area, mostly in Angus
(previously Forfarshire) and some over the River Tay in Fife.
About 20% lived just north in Aberdeenshire while the
remaining 10% migrated to the larger cities of Glasgow and
Edinburgh.
By the year
2000 research showed that there were about 500 Thoms listed in
electoral rolls and telephone books in the UK. Over 1000 lived
in the rest of Europe, mainly in Germany. It is important to
appreciate that not all Continental Thoms will be MacThomases.
Thoms have also migrated to the USA (1000), Canada (500),
Australia (200), New Zealand (100) and South Africa
(25).
As an
example, Henry Thoms (1798-1846), the younger brother of
Patrick Hunter Thoms, de jure 15th Chief, was born in Dundee,
emigrated to Germany in the 1840s, married Emilie Sophie
Noltingk and had four children; the start of a new branch of
Thoms.
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