The first name Tom
A boy’s name from English.
Pronounced /tɑm/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
From Middle English Thomme. Hypocorism of Thomas. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Thomas Jefferson featured on it.
Tom is a short form of
.From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 31 boys were named Tom, making it the 976th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1999, with 638 births (#85).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Tom with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Tom at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 65 boys born in the United States were named Tom, the 2,206th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1959, when 5,068 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Tom in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
Famous people named Tom
496 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Tom StoppardCzech–English playwright (1937–2025)
- Tom WaitsAmerican singer-songwriter and actor (born 1949)
- Tom FeltonBritish actor, singer and musician, born 1987
- Tom WilkinsonEnglish actor (1948–2023)
- Tom SelleckAmerican actor (born 1945)
- Tom PettyAmerican musician (1950-2017)
- Tom WellingAmerican actor, director, and model (born 1977)
- Tom HooperBritish-Australian filmmaker, born 1972
- Tom DaleyBritish diver, born 1994
- Tom CleverleyEnglish association football player (born 1989)
- Tom BerengerAmerican actor (born 1949)
- Tom WolfeAmerican author and journalist (1930–2018)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Tom mean?
- From Middle English Thomme. Hypocorism of Thomas. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Thomas Jefferson featured on it.
- What is the origin of the name Tom?
- From Middle English Thomme. Hypocorism of Thomas. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Thomas Jefferson featured on it.
- How popular is the name Tom?
- In 2025, 31 boys born in England and Wales were named Tom, ranking 976th. Its peak was 1999, with 638 births.
- Is Tom a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 140,370 US babies named Tom since 1880 were boys.
- When was Tom most popular?
- 1959 in the United States, when 5,068 babies were named Tom, its highest rank at 82nd.
- How do you pronounce Tom?
- Tom is /tɑm/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Tom?
- Thom.
- Is Tom also a surname?
- Yes. Tom is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.