Tom is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Tom means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Tom across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Tom has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Tom is a boy name of Aramaic origin meaning “twin”. a short form of Thomas.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 140,370 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 9,800 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,071 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,064 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,575 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 47 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Tom per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1959 (5,080/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1999 (638/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2018 (198/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2016 (69/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2003 (45/yr).
Tom has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1959, when it ranked #178 nationally (given to 5,080 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Tim · Tommy · Tami · Tommie · Tama · Tomie · Toma · Tommye
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