Part III has been added to the information unfolding on the subject surnames. To view the web site, click on the following link: <A HREF="http://www.discribe.ca/artans/official/MacTavish/PartIII.html">A Noble Past - A Glorious Future</A> Many of our kin in North America have always thought that the surname of Thompson was English. They are many times amazed to find out that it is actually Scottish. Thomson is the Highland spelling and Thompson is the Lowland spelling. Thom(p)son is a variant spelling of MacTavish, which is Clan MacTamhais (MacTamhais - the "son of Thomas"). Clan MacTamhais (MacTamhais is Gaelic for MacTavish) is an proud and ancient Highland Clan, having its roots in the Western Highlands in the very womb of Scotland. Thom(p)sons and MacTavish are the same name. This is not to say that all of the name of Thom(p)son are of the same Clan. That would be found in your own family genealogy. Official web site for Clan MacTamhais (MacTavish) can be found at the following link: <A HREF="http://www.mactavish.org">Clan MacTamhais</A> and this will give you an explanation of the origin of the Thom(p)son surname. The surname of Todd is a sept of Clan MacTamhais, although it is important to note that Todd is a split Clan - either Clan MacTamhais or Clan Gordon. Stevens/Stevenson (and variant spellings) are a sept of Clan MacTamhais. That is not to say that ALL of a surname is of the same Clan. That would be found in the research of your own genealogy. One source you might want to read is: Surnames of Scotland by Professor George F. Black Another is the Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands by Frank Adam, Revised by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Lord Lyon. I hope this is of some help to your researching the root of your name, as typed above. In kinship, NThompson2000