Boy name · Aramaic
Thomas
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a twinThomas is a boy's name that comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Dutch and Greek.
- Meaning
- A twin
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #34 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Thomas
As a boy's name, Thomas comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in English, Irish, French, German, Dutch and Greek.
In French, say toh-MAH. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Thomas is also a surname: the 16th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 734,345 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Thomas on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Thomas on 7 lists.
“Twin; Aramaic. Apostle who doubted, then believed”
From Biblical names, names from the Gospels and Acts
“Twin; Aramaic. Steady two-syllable classic”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“A twin; Aramaic. Tom for short; an apostle's name”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“A twin; Aramaic. Say toh-MAH”
From French boy names, classic male French names
“A formal name for a very formal strutter”
From Funny names for turkeys, boy turkey names (for toms)
“A twin; Aramaic. Greeks say tho-MAHS”
From Greek boy names, biblical names in Greek
“A twin; Aramaic. Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, was killed in 1170”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
How popular is Thomas?
- US rank in 2025
- #34
- 6,917 babies, 4,050 per million boys
- Best rank
- #8 in 1880
- Most babies: 48,647 in 1952
- Babies since 1880
- At least 2,358,576
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 21,682 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 18,507 per million |
| 1900s | 16,046 per million |
| 1910s | 13,725 per million |
| 1920s | 14,620 per million |
| 1930s | 17,402 per million |
| 1940s | 23,563 per million |
| 1950s | 22,475 per million |
| 1960s | 16,979 per million |
| 1970s | 11,306 per million |
| 1980s | 9,633 per million |
| 1990s | 7,528 per million |
| 2000s | 5,115 per million |
| 2010s | 3,724 per million |
| 2020s | 3,839 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48 | #49 | #49 | #47 | #45 | #46 | #45 | #41 | #39 | #34 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Thomas
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Tomcommon English nickname
- Tommycommon English nickname
Other forms of Thomas
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Thomas
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- TyomaShort form of Artyom, dedicated to Artemis (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ThomasinaA twin (Aramaic, girl)
- BabiryeFirst-born of twin girls (Luganda, girl)
- FomaTwin (Aramaic, boy)
- KatoSecond-born of twin boys (Luganda, boy)
- NakatoSecond-born of twin girls (Luganda, girl)
- TamsinTwin (Aramaic, girl)
- TommieTwin (Aramaic, girl)
- TommyTwin (Aramaic, boy)
- WaswaFirst-born of twin boys (Luganda, boy)
Middle names for Thomas
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Aramaic
- AkivaFrom Yaakov, holder of the heel (Aramaic, boy)
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartoloméSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartolomeoSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BartoszSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- BernabéSon of encouragement (Aramaic, boy)
- NehoraiLight, illumination (Aramaic, boy)
- SheragaLight, candle (Aramaic, boy)
Thomas: common questions
What does the name Thomas mean?
Thomas comes from Aramaic and means "a twin".
Is Thomas a boy or girl name?
Thomas is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 7 girls and 6,917 boys in the US were named Thomas, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Thomas?
Common nicknames for Thomas include Tom and Tommy.
How popular is the name Thomas?
Thomas ranked #34 in the US in 2025, with 6,917 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Thomas?
Forms of Thomas with the same meaning and origin include Tam (Scottish), Tàmhas (Scottish), Tavish (Scottish), Tom (English) and Tomás (Irish).
What middle names go with Thomas?
Middle names that flow well with Thomas include Alton, Clark, Ezra, Jude and Knox. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.