boy's name
Tom
TOM
- Origin Aramaic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 252,385
Ireland
#48
2025 births
Tom is a boy's name of Aramaic origin meaning "twin," a short form of Thomas used as a full name across Europe. It ranks forty-eighth in Ireland and fifty-fourth in France, and is registered independently rather than as a nickname in both.
- Tom is a name of Aramaic origin.
- Peaked in 1959, when 5,080 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 51,007 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Tom over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,798 |
| 1890s | 3,341 |
| 1900s | 3,312 |
| 1910s | 7,725 |
| 1920s | 12,065 |
| 1930s | 16,526 |
| 1940s | 29,983 |
| 1950s | 23,808 |
| 1960s | 29,264 |
| 1970s | 4,882 |
| 1980s | 1,984 |
| 1990s | 1,454 |
| 2000s | 1,097 |
| 2010s | 786 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 345 |
What Tom means
Tom means twin. It carries the meaning of Thomas, from the Aramaic te'oma, and the apostle is called Didymus in the Gospel of John, which is simply the Greek for the same word.
Where Tom comes from
Tom clips Thomas, from the Aramaic te'oma, a twin. The apostle Thomas is twice called Didymus in John, the Greek translation of his name, and the tradition that he doubted the resurrection gives English the phrase a doubting Thomas. In Britain Tom has functioned as a nickname for centuries and generated an unusual number of common phrases — tomcat, tomboy, tomfoolery, Tom Thumb, peeping Tom — which reflects how thoroughly ordinary the name became. In France, Ireland and the Netherlands it is registered as a name in its own right, which is why it appears in our data as a ranked first name rather than as a diminutive.
Tom in use
Tom ranks forty-eighth in Ireland and fifty-fourth in France, with presence in Northern Ireland at 60 and Scotland at 354, so it is genuinely a European first name rather than only a British nickname. Our records carry it from 1880 with an American peak in 1959. The contrast with Britain is the interesting part: it is used constantly there in speech and comparatively rarely on birth certificates.
How popular is Tom?
In 2025, Tom was given to 65 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Tom is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Tom
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Tom also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Tom over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Tom in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Tom
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Tom — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Tom
What does the name Tom mean?
Tom means "twin," carried from Thomas, which comes from the Aramaic te'oma.
Is Tom a full name or a nickname?
Both. In France, Ireland and the Netherlands it is registered as a name in its own right.
Why is Thomas called Didymus?
Didymus is simply the Greek for twin, the same meaning as the Aramaic name.
How popular is Tom?
Forty-eighth in Ireland and fifty-fourth in France.
Is Tom a girl's or a boy's name?
Tom is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Tom?
Tom has 1 syllable.
Is Tom a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Tom currently ranks #48 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.