UK boy's name
Thomas
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "twin".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Thomas is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Thomas popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #26, with 1,543 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 9,603 births.
This profile covers 160,894 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 16% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 180,043 living people in the UK are called Thomas. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Thomas ranked #26 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,543 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 9,603 boys were registered as Thomas.
- • Thomas ranks best in East of England in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2014.
- • About 180,043 living people in the UK are estimated to have Thomas as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#26
2024
Births in 2024
1,543
Latest year
Peak year
1996
9,603 births
Estimated living
180,043
2026
Meaning
What does Thomas mean?
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.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Thomas over time
The chart below shows babies named Thomas registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Thomas, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,543 births in 2024, compared with 9,603 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thomas by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Thomas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #19 | 10,447 | 5 |
| 2010s | #9 | 41,968 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3 | 70,475 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3 | 38,004 | 4 |
Geography
Where Thomas is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Thomas. 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.
Thomas ranks best in East of England in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2014.
Across the UK
Thomas in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#20 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 16,630 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#11 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 4,279 total registered
Related
Names similar to Thomas
- 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
- Travis 5,202
FAQ
Thomas: questions and answers
How popular is the name Thomas in the UK right now?
In 2024, Thomas was ranked #26 for boys in England and Wales, with 1,543 births registered.
When was Thomas most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 9,603 babies registered as Thomas in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Thomas?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "twin".
How many people are called Thomas in the UK?
A total of 160,894 babies have been registered as Thomas across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 16,630 more in Scotland and 4,279 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Thomas most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Thomas ranks best in East of England, where it placed #1 in 2014. 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.