Thom
A variant spelling of the masculine name Thomas, derived from an Aramaic term meaning "twin".
Name Census estimates that about 641 living Americans carry the first name Thom. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thom today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thom births was 1961 (33 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thom. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
641
~ 1 in 534,718 Americans
Peak year
1961
33 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,875
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Thom: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thom from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 195 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thom by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Thom during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Thoms live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, New York, Ohio recorded the most babies named Thom, while Michigan, Illinois, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Thom
The name Thom is a variant of the name Thomas, which has its origins in the Aramaic language. It is derived from the Aramaic word "ta'oma," meaning "twin." This name was brought to the Western world through the Bible's New Testament, where it refers to one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, known as Doubting Thomas.
The name Thomas gained popularity during the early days of Christianity and was widely used throughout Europe. In ancient Greek, the name was rendered as "Thomas," while in Latin, it became "Thomas" or "Thomasus." The spelling "Thom" emerged as a shortened form of the name, particularly in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thom can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which mentions a nobleman named "Thom" in the year 1066. This suggests that the shortened form of the name was in use in England during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Thom. One such individual was Thom Gunn (1929-2004), an English poet who was renowned for his works exploring themes of sexuality and modern life. Another notable Thom was Thom Mayne (born 1944), an American architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2005.
In the realm of literature, Thom Gunn, an English poet born in 1929, gained recognition for his works that explored themes of sexuality and modern life. He was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1992.
The name Thom has also been associated with notable figures in the world of sports. Thom Brennaman (born 1963) is an American sportscaster who has covered various major league sports events, including the World Series and the Super Bowl.
In the field of music, Thom Yorke (born 1968) is a renowned English musician and the lead singer of the rock band Radiohead. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative musicians of his generation.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Thom, a variant of the ancient Aramaic name Thomas, which has its roots in biblical times and has maintained its presence across various cultures and eras.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Thom
People
Thom + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thom as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Thom: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thom?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 641 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thom going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 534,718 US residents.
Is Thom a common name?
We classify Thom as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 845 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thom most popular?
The single biggest year for Thom was 1961, when 33 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thom is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thom a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thom in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.