Thomas
Boy name · #34 in 2025 · Very well-known
Thomas is currently the #34 boy name in the United States — 6,917 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #50, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 260 boys born in 2025 was named Thomas.
Babies named Thomas per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Thomas first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 2,534 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1952, when 48,647 boys were named Thomas — good for #8 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Thomas against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Thomas in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Thomas is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Thomas is most common
Geography matters for names, and Thomas is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Thomas is most common in VT (13 per 1,000), WY (11 per 1,000), DC (10 per 1,000), NH (10 per 1,000), ME (9.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Thomas is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Thomas
Thomas carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Thomas family went to about 7,402 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #29, versus #34 for Thomas alone.
Names like Thomas
Statistically, parents drawn to Thomas tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Charles, David, Joseph, Michael, and John.
CharlesDavidJosephMichaelJohnRobertJamesWilliam
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Thomas | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,917 | #34 |
| 2024 | 6,596 | #39 |
| 2023 | 6,625 | #41 |
| 2022 | 6,512 | #45 |
| 2021 | 6,680 | #46 |
| 2020 | 6,452 | #45 |
| 2019 | 6,667 | #47 |
| 2018 | 6,840 | #49 |
| 2017 | 7,187 | #49 |
| 2016 | 7,367 | #48 |
| 2015 | 7,204 | #50 |
| 2014 | 7,043 | #54 |
| 2013 | 6,799 | #61 |
| 2012 | 6,855 | #63 |
| 2011 | 6,929 | #63 |
| 2010 | 7,136 | #62 |
| 2009 | 7,728 | #57 |
| 2008 | 8,370 | #52 |
| 2007 | 8,935 | #52 |
| 2006 | 9,514 | #51 |
| 2005 | 10,041 | #40 |
| 2004 | 10,504 | #37 |
| 2003 | 10,935 | #36 |
| 2002 | 11,293 | #36 |
| 2001 | 12,148 | #33 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Thomas a popular boy name?
Thomas ranked #34 among boys in 2025 with 6,917 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #50.
When was the name Thomas most popular?
Thomas peaked in 1952, when 48,647 American boys received the name (ranked #8 that year). Since 1952 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Thomas?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 260 newborn American boys was named Thomas. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.