UK boy's name
Thom
A variant spelling of the masculine name Thomas, derived from an Aramaic term meaning "twin".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2019. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Thom is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Thom popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2019 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3937, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 17 births.
This profile covers 190 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2019. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 24% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 228 living people in the UK are called Thom. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2020 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Thom ranked #3937 for boys in England and Wales in 2019, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 17 boys were registered as Thom.
- • Thom ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #334 in 2020.
- • About 228 living people in the UK are estimated to have Thom as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3937
2019
Births in 2019
4
Latest year
Peak year
2012
17 births
Estimated living
228
2026
Meaning
What does Thom mean?
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.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Thom over time
The chart below shows babies named Thom registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2019. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Thom, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2019, compared with 17 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thom by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Thom was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #2965 | 69 | 9 |
| 2000s | #1900 | 89 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1622 | 32 | 4 |
Geography
Where Thom is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Thom. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Thom ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #334 in 2020.
Across the UK
Thom in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#704 in 2018
8 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#334 in 2020
3 years of NISRA records, 10 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Thom
-
Thom Evans
rugby union player
Scottish rugby union footballer
1985-
-
Thom Tuck
comedian; television actor
British actor
1982-
-
Thom McGinty
mime artist; actor
actor and street performer (1952-1995)
1952-1995
-
Thom Keyes
screenwriter; science fiction writer
British writer (1949?-1995)
1949-1995
-
Thom Puckey
writer; painter; sculptor; university teacher; performance artist; draftsperson; installation artist
British artist (born 1948)
1948-
-
Thom Noble
film editor
British film editor
1935-
-
Thom Gunn
writer; poet
English poet (1929-2004)
1929-2004
-
Thom Sonny Green
drummer; musician
English drummer and electronic music producer
Related
Names similar to Thom
- Thomas 160,894
- Tyler 42,147
- Theo 40,594
- Toby 32,482
- Theodore 30,211
- Tommy 25,300
- Teddy 20,781
- Taylor 14,354
- Tobias 13,102
- Tom 9,822
- Tristan 9,171
- Timothy 6,200
FAQ
Thom: questions and answers
How popular is the name Thom in the UK right now?
In 2019, Thom was ranked #3937 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Thom most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 17 babies registered as Thom in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Thom?
A variant spelling of the masculine name Thomas, derived from an Aramaic term meaning "twin".
How many people are called Thom in the UK?
A total of 190 babies have been registered as Thom across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Thom most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Thom ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #334 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.