Boy name · Aramaic
Tom
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a twinTom is a boy's name that comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
- Meaning
- A twin
- Origin
- Aramaic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #2206 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Tom
As a boy's name, Tom comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". It is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
In French, say TOHM. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Tom is also a surname: the 3,376th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 10,364 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Tom on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Tom on 3 lists.
“A twin; Aramaic. Say TOHM”
From French boy names, short French boy names
“The classic name for a male turkey”
From Funny names for turkeys, boy turkey names (for toms)
“The everyday word for a male cat, after a storybook tom of 1760”
From Orange cat names, orange cat names for boys
How popular is Tom?
- US rank in 2025
- #2,206
- 65 babies, 38 per million boys
- Best rank
- #40 in 1880
- Most babies: 5,068 in 1959
- Babies since 1880
- At least 139,756
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,456 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,923 per million |
| 1900s | 2,426 per million |
| 1910s | 1,142 per million |
| 1920s | 1,082 per million |
| 1930s | 1,555 per million |
| 1940s | 2,007 per million |
| 1950s | 1,175 per million |
| 1960s | 1,516 per million |
| 1970s | 294 per million |
| 1980s | 107 per million |
| 1990s | 75 per million |
| 2000s | 55 per million |
| 2010s | 42 per million |
| 2020s | 33 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,044 | #1,765 | #2,142 | #1,787 | #2,346 | #2,220 | #2,375 | #2,653 | #2,743 | #2,206 |
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.
Other forms of Tom
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Tom
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- TimHonoring God (Greek, boy)
- TorThunder, the god Thor (Old Norse, boy)
- ThorThunder (Old Norse, boy)
- TalDew, morning dew (Hebrew, unisex)
- TaoGreat waves (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- TimaShort form of Timofei, honoring God, or Timur, iron (Greek, boy)
- TimoHonoring God (Greek, boy)
- TobyGod is good (Hebrew, boy)
- TomerPalm tree (Hebrew, 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)
- WaswaFirst-born of twin boys (Luganda, boy)
Middle names for Tom
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AmbroseImmortal one (Greek, boy)
- BartholomewSon of Talmai (Aramaic, boy)
- FletcherArrow maker (Old French, boy)
- LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
- MichaelWho is like God? (Hebrew, boy)
- RiverFlowing river (English, unisex)
- RowanLittle red one (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- SpencerSteward, dispenser (Old French, boy)
More boy names from Aramaic
- AkivaFrom Yaakov, holder of the heel (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)
Tom: common questions
What does the name Tom mean?
Tom comes from Aramaic and means "a twin".
Is Tom a boy or girl name?
Tom is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Tom come from?
Tom comes from Aramaic and means "a twin". Today it is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
How popular is the name Tom?
Tom ranked #2,206 in the US in 2025, with 65 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Tom?
Forms of Tom with the same meaning and origin include Tam (Scottish), Tàmhas (Scottish), Tavish (Scottish), Thomas (English) and Tomás (Irish).
What middle names go with Tom?
Middle names that flow well with Tom include Ambrose, Bartholomew, Fletcher, Louis and Michael. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.