Tom
Tom is a masculine given name, often used as a diminutive of Thomas. In Germanic countries and Scandinavia, "Tom" is in use as a formal given name.
Meaning & Origin of Tom
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tom is a masculine given name, often used as a diminutive of Thomas. In Germanic countries and Scandinavia, "Tom" is in use as a formal given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Tom
Tom first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 399 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 5,068 Toms were born — ranking #82 that year. As of 2026, Tom ranks #2,892 for baby boys with 44 births, falling sharply (-32%). In total, more than 140K Toms have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tom
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tom is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom
What does the name Tom mean?
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In which U.S. states is Tom most popular?
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About the name Tom
Tom is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 140K births in the dataset. Tom's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #40. Use the chart and map above to compare Tom's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.