Thomas

Thomas (m) Originally a nickname used to distinguish
one of three Judahs in the New Testament. Thomas
was a word in Aramaic meaning ‘twin.’ As the name of an Apostle it has long been in use in all Christian countries.
In Scotland the name was placed 8th in 1858, 7th in 1935, 6th in 1958, and it has remained extremely popular in the late 1970’s. The feminine forms Thomasina, Thomasena and the Cornish Tamsin are also used occasionally by Scottish parents.

The pet forms of the male name, Tom and Tommy, occur as independent names. ‘The Mactavishes are descendants of a Thomas, or Tammas in its Lowland Scots form. In Gaelic the name is Mac Thamhais. The later Gaelic form is Tomás. Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary records Thomasa and Tomina as feminine forms of Thomas, but examples are hard to find.

Return To Scottish Christian Names