Thomas
Thomas was the 34th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,917 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1952 (48,647). Over the last ten years it has moved up 17 places. More babies were named Thomas in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning twin · Aramaic
Say it TAH-mus /ˈtɑməs/
- Rank in 2025
- #34 boys, up 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,917boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195248,647 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,367,087babies recorded
What does the name Thomas mean?
Thomas comes from an Aramaic word for 'twin'. It was the nickname of one of the twelve apostles, remembered for doubting the Resurrection. DMNES lists a 12th-century and two 13th-century English saints of the name, and Wiktionary dates its popularity from the 13th century.
תאומא (Aramaic, “twin”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: The h is silent.
See also: Aramaic names.
Nicknames for Thomas
The usual nicknames for Thomas are Tom and Tommy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Thomas in the last five years, 6 were named Tommy, against 7 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom · also for Tomas | Traditional | #2,206 | 287 |
| Tommy · also for Tomas, Tom | Traditional | #658 | 1,876 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Thomass go by each one.
Thomas popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 8,511 since 1880, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #34 | 6,917 |
| 2020 | #45 | 6,452 |
| 2010 | #62 | 7,136 |
| 2000 | #33 | 12,638 |
| 1990 | #26 | 18,231 |
| 1980 | #25 | 17,564 |
| 1970 | #17 | 26,669 |
| 1960 | #9 | 39,278 |
| 1950 | #8 | 45,596 |
| 1940 | #8 | 23,991 |
| 1930 | #11 | 17,008 |
| 1920 | #11 | 14,936 |
| 1910 | #12 | 2,851 |
| 1900 | #11 | 2,556 |
| 1890 | #12 | 2,200 |
| 1880 | #8 | 2,534 |
How popular is Thomas, counting every spelling?
Thomas has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #39 for boys in 2025, against #34 on the official list, because Jackson/Jaxon/Jaxson and Miles/Myles/Mylez and Kayden/Kaiden/Caden move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Thomas?
6,917 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Thomas (1.92 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Thomas born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 28. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Thomas.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Thomas?
About 1,426,400 people born in the US named Thomas are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 37 and 70. That makes Thomas a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Thomas by state
How common Thomas was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (2.8×), Wyoming (2.5×), New Hampshire (2.5×), District of Columbia (2.4×), Maine (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Texas, Arizona.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Thomas: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Thomas, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Thomas · Sibling names for Thomas
Questions about the name Thomas
What does Thomas mean?
Thomas means “twin” (Aramaic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Thomas?
Thomas was the 34th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 6,917 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1952 (48,647). Over the last ten years it has moved up 17 places. More babies were named Thomas in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Thomas a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Thomas in the US.
Where is Thomas most popular?
In 2021–2025, Thomas was most common in Vermont (10.83 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and New Hampshire.