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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tom

Tom

♂ Boy

Pronounced TOHM /ˈtoʊm/Low

Meaning: Origin uncertainLow

In 30 seconds: Tom is a short, familiar English boy's name whose own independent origin is uncertain, long used in its own right as well as a shortening of Thomas.
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Origin LowUncertain
MeaningOrigin uncertain
U.S. rank (2025)#2206 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births65 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1959
Total births (all-time)≈ 139,754

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195918802025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The origin of Tom on its own is uncertain, and it is usually encountered as the everyday short form of Thomas. As a standalone given name it has become thoroughly ordinary in English, plain and warm rather than formal.

Plenty of well-known men go simply by Tom, including actors Tom Selleck (born 1945) and Tom Skerritt (born 1933), which keeps the name feeling approachable and grown-up at once.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Tom is 'origin uncertain', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 55%
Behind the Name - Tom — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Tom Selleck (1945–present)
    Emmy winner for 'Magnum, P.I.' in 1984.
  • ★Tom Skerritt (1933–present)
    Emmy winner for 'Picket Fences' in 1993.

If you like Tom…

Thomas— The full name Tom most often shortens.
Tommy— A playful diminutive built directly on Tom.
Tomas— A Continental spelling of the same Thomas family.
Zair— shares Tom's Uncertain roots
Riyaan— a similarly popular pick

Frequently Asked

What does the name Tom mean?

Tom is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Uncertain tradition.

How do you pronounce Tom?

It's commonly said TOHM /ˈtoʊm/.

Is Tom a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Tom is used as a boy name.

How popular is Tom?

In 2024, Tom ranked #2822 in the U.S. for boys, with 46 births recorded.

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