At a glance
- In short
- Thomas is an Aramaic name meaning twin.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #34 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 6,917 (0.38% of boys)
- Trend
- Rising #45 in 2020 to #34 in 2025
- Peak
- #8 in 1880, 1882, 1884, 1936 and 1940–1955
- Top state
- #10 in Mississippi
- First recorded
- 1880
Meaning of Thomas
Thomas comes from the Aramaic word te'oma, meaning "twin," and entered English through the Greek Thomas and the Latin Thomas. Name dictionaries agree on this origin. The name reached the English-speaking world through Saint Thomas the Apostle, whose doubt at the Resurrection gave us the phrase "Doubting Thomas." In Britain it is pronounced TAW-muhs; in the United States, TOM-uhs.
Beyond the apostle, the name carries a long record in religion, philosophy, and public life. Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth-century Dominican friar, shaped Western theology and philosophy, and Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, is among the most cited American bearers. Thomas Edison, whose inventions included the phonograph and a practical light bulb, is another familiar namesake.
Thomas has never fallen out of wide use in the United States. It ranked 8th in 1950, when 45,596 boys received it, and stayed near the top ten for decades. It slipped to 63rd in 2011, its lowest point, then turned upward again, reaching 34th in 2025 with 6,917 babies. Short forms Tom and Tommy are common.
How to pronounce Thomas
American English
- Pronounced TOM-uhs /ˈtɒməs/
British English
- Pronounced TAW-muhs /ˈtɔməs/
Popularity of Thomas in the U.S.
Thomas was the #34 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 6,917 babies. It peaked at #8 in 1880, 1882, 1884, 1936 and 1940–1955. It has been in the top 100 since 1880.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1880–2025 146 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,917 | 34 | ▲ 5 |
| 2024 | 6,596 | 39 | ▲ 2 |
| 2023 | 6,625 | 41 | ▲ 4 |
| 2022 | 6,512 | 45 | ▲ 1 |
| 2021 | 6,680 | 46 | ▼ 1 |
| 2020 | 6,452 | 45 | ▲ 2 |
| 2019 | 6,667 | 47 | ▲ 2 |
| 2018 | 6,840 | 49 | – |
| 2017 | 7,187 | 49 | ▼ 1 |
| 2016 | 7,367 | 48 | ▲ 2 |
| 2015 | 7,204 | 50 | ▲ 4 |
| 2014 | 7,043 | 54 | ▲ 7 |
| 2013 | 6,799 | 61 | ▲ 2 |
| 2012 | 6,855 | 63 | – |
| 2011 | 6,929 | 63 | ▼ 1 |
| 2010 | 7,136 | 62 | ▼ 5 |
| 2009 | 7,728 | 57 | ▼ 5 |
| 2008 | 8,370 | 52 | – |
| 2007 | 8,935 | 52 | ▼ 1 |
| 2006 | 9,514 | 51 | ▼ 11 |
| 2005 | 10,041 | 40 | ▼ 3 |
| 2004 | 10,504 | 37 | ▼ 1 |
| 2003 | 10,935 | 36 | – |
| 2002 | 11,293 | 36 | ▼ 3 |
| 2001 | 12,148 | 33 | – |
| 2000 | 12,638 | 33 | ▼ 2 |
| 1999 | 12,795 | 31 | – |
| 1998 | 12,889 | 31 | – |
| 1997 | 12,899 | 31 | ▼ 3 |
| 1996 | 13,804 | 28 | ▼ 1 |
| 1995 | 14,163 | 27 | – |
| 1994 | 14,910 | 27 | – |
| 1993 | 14,868 | 27 | – |
| 1992 | 15,290 | 27 | ▲ 1 |
| 1991 | 16,789 | 28 | ▼ 2 |
| 1990 | 18,231 | 26 | ▼ 3 |
| 1989 | 18,439 | 23 | – |
| 1988 | 18,806 | 23 | ▲ 1 |
| 1987 | 18,139 | 24 | ▲ 2 |
| 1986 | 17,362 | 26 | ▼ 1 |
| 1985 | 17,609 | 25 | – |
| 1984 | 17,596 | 25 | ▼ 1 |
| 1983 | 17,565 | 24 | ▼ 1 |
| 1982 | 17,578 | 23 | ▲ 3 |
| 1981 | 17,159 | 26 | ▼ 1 |
| 1980 | 17,564 | 25 | ▲ 1 |
| 1979 | 16,454 | 26 | ▼ 3 |
| 1978 | 16,481 | 23 | ▼ 1 |
| 1977 | 16,586 | 22 | ▲ 1 |
| 1976 | 16,122 | 23 | ▼ 3 |
| 1975 | 16,532 | 20 | – |
| 1974 | 17,268 | 20 | ▼ 1 |
| 1973 | 17,921 | 19 | ▲ 1 |
| 1972 | 19,557 | 20 | ▼ 3 |
| 1971 | 23,149 | 17 | – |
| 1970 | 26,669 | 17 | ▼ 4 |
| 1969 | 27,465 | 13 | ▼ 1 |
| 1968 | 27,420 | 12 | – |
| 1967 | 28,247 | 12 | ▼ 2 |
| 1966 | 29,003 | 10 | ▼ 1 |
| 1965 | 31,595 | 9 | – |
| 1964 | 34,463 | 9 | – |
| 1963 | 35,490 | 9 | – |
| 1962 | 36,529 | 9 | – |
| 1961 | 37,565 | 9 | – |
| 1960 | 39,278 | 9 | – |
| 1959 | 40,296 | 9 | – |
| 1958 | 42,088 | 9 | – |
| 1957 | 44,625 | 9 | – |
| 1956 | 44,836 | 9 | ▼ 1 |
| 1955 | 45,855 | 8 | – |
| 1954 | 47,159 | 8 | – |
| 1953 | 47,008 | 8 | – |
| 1952 | 48,647 | 8 | – |
| 1951 | 48,275 | 8 | – |
| 1950 | 45,596 | 8 | – |
| 1949 | 45,192 | 8 | – |
| 1948 | 43,780 | 8 | – |
| 1947 | 44,842 | 8 | – |
| 1946 | 38,877 | 8 | – |
| 1945 | 31,874 | 8 | – |
| 1944 | 31,604 | 8 | – |
| 1943 | 32,874 | 8 | – |
| 1942 | 31,100 | 8 | – |
| 1941 | 26,641 | 8 | – |
| 1940 | 23,991 | 8 | ▲ 1 |
| 1939 | 22,129 | 9 | – |
| 1938 | 21,381 | 9 | – |
| 1937 | 19,772 | 9 | ▼ 1 |
| 1936 | 18,342 | 8 | ▲ 1 |
| 1935 | 17,684 | 9 | – |
| 1934 | 17,373 | 9 | ▲ 1 |
| 1933 | 16,508 | 10 | – |
| 1932 | 16,834 | 10 | – |
| 1931 | 16,847 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1930 | 17,008 | 11 | – |
| 1929 | 16,272 | 11 | – |
| 1928 | 16,582 | 11 | – |
| 1927 | 17,027 | 11 | – |
| 1926 | 16,592 | 11 | – |
| 1925 | 16,688 | 11 | – |
| 1924 | 16,555 | 11 | ▲ 1 |
| 1923 | 15,886 | 12 | ▼ 1 |
| 1922 | 15,261 | 11 | – |
| 1921 | 15,308 | 11 | – |
| 1920 | 14,936 | 11 | ▼ 1 |
| 1919 | 13,434 | 10 | – |
| 1918 | 13,910 | 10 | – |
| 1917 | 12,611 | 10 | – |
| 1916 | 11,998 | 10 | – |
| 1915 | 11,490 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1914 | 8,850 | 11 | ▼ 1 |
| 1913 | 7,096 | 10 | – |
| 1912 | 6,087 | 10 | – |
| 1911 | 3,292 | 10 | ▲ 2 |
| 1910 | 2,851 | 12 | ▼ 2 |
| 1909 | 2,468 | 10 | – |
| 1908 | 2,301 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1907 | 2,174 | 11 | ▼ 1 |
| 1906 | 2,176 | 10 | – |
| 1905 | 2,135 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1904 | 2,057 | 11 | ▼ 1 |
| 1903 | 1,962 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1902 | 2,134 | 11 | – |
| 1901 | 1,820 | 11 | – |
| 1900 | 2,556 | 11 | – |
| 1899 | 1,811 | 11 | ▼ 1 |
| 1898 | 2,161 | 10 | ▲ 1 |
| 1897 | 1,980 | 11 | ▲ 1 |
| 1896 | 2,088 | 12 | ▼ 1 |
| 1895 | 2,153 | 11 | ▲ 1 |
| 1894 | 2,170 | 12 | – |
| 1893 | 2,157 | 12 | – |
| 1892 | 2,413 | 12 | – |
| 1891 | 1,982 | 12 | – |
| 1890 | 2,200 | 12 | – |
| 1889 | 2,233 | 12 | – |
| 1888 | 2,449 | 12 | ▼ 3 |
| 1887 | 2,151 | 9 | ▲ 1 |
| 1886 | 2,337 | 10 | – |
| 1885 | 2,266 | 10 | ▼ 2 |
| 1884 | 2,572 | 8 | ▲ 2 |
| 1883 | 2,316 | 10 | ▼ 2 |
| 1882 | 2,610 | 8 | ▲ 1 |
| 1881 | 2,282 | 9 | ▼ 1 |
| 1880 | 2,534 | 8 | – |
Thomas by state
Thomas ranks #10 in Mississippi (2025).
Rank by state 50 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 10 | 82 |
| Utah | 12 | 155 |
| Virginia | 14 | 231 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 166 |
| South Carolina | 15 | 145 |
| Massachusetts | 16 | 209 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 110 |
| District of Columbia | 16 | 26 |
| Vermont | 16 | 16 |
| Alabama | 17 | 129 |
| Missouri | 18 | 173 |
| Idaho | 18 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | 18 | 45 |
| Maine | 18 | 35 |
| Montana | 22 | 30 |
| Connecticut | 23 | 92 |
| New Jersey | 24 | 231 |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 287 |
| Ohio | 27 | 280 |
| Georgia | 27 | 229 |
| Washington | 27 | 171 |
| Wyoming | 27 | 12 |
| Kansas | 29 | 78 |
| Rhode Island | 29 | 23 |
| North Carolina | 30 | 243 |
| Oregon | 31 | 79 |
| Illinois | 32 | 236 |
| Nebraska | 32 | 49 |
| South Dakota | 32 | 24 |
| Tennessee | 33 | 165 |
| Kentucky | 33 | 105 |
| Arkansas | 35 | 62 |
| New York | 36 | 378 |
| Indiana | 37 | 140 |
| Maryland | 37 | 113 |
| Michigan | 39 | 183 |
| Iowa | 39 | 65 |
| West Virginia | 39 | 33 |
| Florida | 42 | 399 |
| Wisconsin | 43 | 105 |
| Hawaii | 45 | 17 |
| Alaska | 46 | 14 |
| Colorado | 52 | 106 |
| North Dakota | 53 | 18 |
| Texas | 55 | 598 |
| Oklahoma | 57 | 65 |
| Nevada | 58 | 45 |
| California | 69 | 532 |
| Arizona | 79 | 98 |
| Delaware | 82 | 12 |
| New Mexico | 106 | 18 |
Notable people named Thomas
- Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, was a Founding Father who served as first secretary of state, second vice president, and third US president and championed democracy and natural rights.
- Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican friar and priest from Aquino, a Doctor of the Church whose Scholastic thought shaped Western philosophy and theology.
- Thomas Edison was a pioneering American inventor and businessman who transformed modern life with the phonograph motion picture camera and improved light bulb and founded the first industrial research lab.
- Thomas Sankara was a Burkinabe military officer and Marxist Pan African revolutionary who led Burkina Faso as president from a 1983 coup until his assassination in 1987.
- Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet, a Victorian realist influenced by Romanticism who critiqued Victorian society and the decline of rural life in his native South West England.
More people named Thomas 6 more
- Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, and sculptor, and a prominent art educator widely regarded as one of the most important American artists.
- Thomas Wolsey, a powerful Tudor statesman and Catholic cardinal, rose from almoner to Henry VIII to dominate government and the church as Archbishop of York and papal legate, outranking all English clergy from 1515.
- Paul Thomas Mann was a German novelist and 1929 Nobel laureate whose symbolic, ironic works explore the psychology of artists and critique the European and German soul, drawing on biblical and German tales and the ideas of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Schopenhauer.
- Thomas Morgan Robertson, known as Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, record producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher.
- Thomas Samuel Kuhn was an American historian and philosopher of science who introduced the term paradigm shift in his influential 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
- Thomas Gainsborough was a leading 18th century English portrait and landscape painter and Royal Academy founder who helped originate the British landscape school.