Tom
Boy name · #2183 in 2025 · Very rare
Tom ranks #2183 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 65 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2036, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 27,692 boys born in 2025 was named Tom.
Babies named Tom per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Tom first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 399 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 5,068 boys were named Tom — good for #82 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 Tom against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Tom in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Tom is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Tom will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Tom is most common
State-level data for Tom is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Tom
Tom belongs to the Thomas family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Thomas family went to about 7,402 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #29, versus #2183 for Tom alone.
Names like Tom
Statistically, parents drawn to Tom tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tim, Jim, Ted, Dan, and Dave.
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Tom | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65 | #2183 |
| 2024 | 48 | #2715 |
| 2023 | 50 | #2614 |
| 2022 | 60 | #2355 |
| 2021 | 64 | #2193 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2323 |
| 2019 | 87 | #1777 |
| 2018 | 66 | #2122 |
| 2017 | 88 | #1746 |
| 2016 | 70 | #2028 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2036 |
| 2014 | 77 | #1884 |
| 2013 | 82 | #1763 |
| 2012 | 83 | #1787 |
| 2011 | 83 | #1755 |
| 2010 | 80 | #1816 |
| 2009 | 99 | #1604 |
| 2008 | 96 | #1620 |
| 2007 | 94 | #1638 |
| 2006 | 109 | #1427 |
| 2005 | 125 | #1257 |
| 2004 | 107 | #1359 |
| 2003 | 132 | #1141 |
| 2002 | 140 | #1076 |
| 2001 | 96 | #1345 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Tom a popular boy name?
Tom ranked #2183 among boys in 2025 with 65 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2036.
When was the name Tom most popular?
Tom peaked in 1959, when 5,068 American boys received the name (ranked #82 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Tom?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 27,692 newborn American boys was named Tom. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.