Find out how popular the first name Thomas has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Thomas by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Thomas is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Thomas being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 6,598 male babies and 7 female babies born with the name Thomas.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 7 baby girls were named Thomas in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Thomas

The name Thomas has its origins in the Aramaic language and is derived from the word "te'oma" which translates to "twin". It is believed that the name was first used during the early Christian era, around the 1st century AD, and was popularized by one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who was known as Thomas the Apostle or Doubting Thomas.

The name Thomas gained widespread use across the Middle East and Europe during the early years of Christianity. It became particularly popular in regions with significant Christian populations, such as the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. The name was also adopted by various European cultures and languages, leading to slight variations in spelling and pronunciation, such as Tomás in Spanish, Tommaso in Italian, and Tuama in Irish.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Thomas can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Gospel of John, where Thomas the Apostle is mentioned. He is known for initially doubting the resurrection of Jesus Christ, leading to the phrase "Doubting Thomas".

Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals who bore the name Thomas. One of the most famous was St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and theologian who is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in the Catholic Church.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Becket (1118-1170), the Archbishop of Canterbury who was martyred after a conflict with King Henry II of England. His death led to his canonization as a saint, and he became an important figure in the Anglican and Catholic churches.

In the realm of literature, Thomas Malory (c. 1415-1471) was an English writer best known for his compilation of the Arthurian legends in the work "Le Morte d'Arthur".

One of the most renowned scientists in history was Thomas Edison (1847-1931), the American inventor and businessman who is credited with developing many devices, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.

Another notable figure was Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third President of the United States, who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Thomas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Thomas, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!