Thomas (name)


The name Thomas is derived from the Aramaic personal name :wikt:תאומא|תאומא, meaning "twin" and "leader." The English spelling "Thomas" is a transliteration of the approximate Greek transliteration, :wikt:Θωμάς|Θωμάς. Thomas is recorded in the Greek New Testament as the name of Thomas the Apostle.

Etymology

The masculine noun תאם occurs throughout Semitic languages, always meaning twin.

Popularity

Various historical figures such as Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Jefferson have borne the name. This list of people with given name Thomas contains others.

Europe

Thomas was a popular name throughout medieval Europe. In Britain the name was rare prior to the Norman Conquest, but by the 13th and 14th centuries it had become common. In 2017 it ranked 13th in popularity in the United Kingdom with 3,246 babies given the name.

United States

The Social Security Administration lists the name Thomas as the ninth most popular name in the United States over the past 100 years. In 2017 it ranked 48th in popularity with 7,131 babies given the name.

In other languages