Tommy
Tommy was the 658th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 420 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,594). Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Tommy in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Thomas, 'twin' · Aramaic, Greek, English
Say it TAH-mee /ˈtɑmi/
- Rank in 2025
- #658 boys, up 87 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 420boys
- Girls and boys
- 5% girls, 95% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19474,594 babies
- Total since 1880
- 181,675babies recorded
What does the name Tommy mean?
Tommy is a pet form of Thomas, made from Tom plus -y, as Wiktionary notes. Thomas comes from Aramaic t'oma, twin, the nickname of one of the twelve apostles, according to DMNES. DMNES records Thomas widely in medieval Europe and lists several English saints of the name. Tommy has been used in the US since 1880 and was borrowed into Scandinavian languages in the 19th century.
תאומא (Aramaic, “twin”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Thomas, Tom, Tomás, Tomas, Thomasina.
See also: Aramaic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Tommy' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Thomas', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Tommy popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,161 | #658 | 35 | 420 |
| 2020 | #14,951 | #745 | 6 | 326 |
| 2010 | — | #595 | — | 420 |
| 2000 | #11,726 | #307 | 8 | 959 |
| 1990 | #10,133 | #270 | 8 | 981 |
| 1980 | #3,984 | #197 | 20 | 1,259 |
| 1970 | #1,598 | #148 | 60 | 2,220 |
| 1960 | #1,693 | #112 | 45 | 3,683 |
| 1950 | #1,907 | #94 | 26 | 3,434 |
| 1940 | #1,371 | #76 | 31 | 2,827 |
| 1930 | #1,270 | #127 | 36 | 1,386 |
| 1920 | #1,808 | #309 | 23 | 344 |
| 1910 | #1,916 | #274 | 8 | 82 |
| 1900 | — | #336 | — | 42 |
| 1890 | — | #532 | — | 14 |
| 1880 | — | #1,048 | — | 5 |
How popular is Tommy, counting every spelling?
Tommy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #646 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #658 for Tommy on its own. Together these spellings went to 420 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy | 420 | #658 | 1,876 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Tommy?
420 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Tommy (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Tommy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Tommy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Tommy?
About 110,900 people born in the US named Tommy are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 44 and 72. That makes Tommy 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.
Tommy by state
How common Tommy was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (3.9×), Idaho (2.6×), Arkansas (2.0×), Oklahoma (1.8×), Arizona (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Pennsylvania.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Tommy: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Tommy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Tommy · Sibling names for Tommy
Tommy is also a nickname for Thomas, Tomas and Tom.
Questions about the name Tommy
What does Tommy mean?
Tommy means “pet form of Thomas, 'twin'” (Aramaic, Greek, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Tommy?
Tommy was the 658th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 420 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 70th; the most babies were born in 1947 (4,594). Over the last ten years it has moved up 48 places. More babies were named Tommy in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Tommy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 5% girls, 95% boys given the name Tommy in the US.
Where is Tommy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Tommy was most common in Utah (0.84 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Arkansas.