Total births
139,756
Boys' name · since 1880
Tom
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 139,756 babies named Tom, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2715
- among boys today
- 139,756
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Tom is the #2715 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 139,756 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tom has been recorded 139,756 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2715 nationally and more common than 81% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2715 among boys today
- 139,756 born since 1880
- 1940s peak decade
- 81% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tom is currently the #2715 boys' name in America, more common than 81% of boys - 139,756 born since 1880, peaking in the 1940s.
- #2715
- among boys today
- 139,756
- born since 1880
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Tom vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2715
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 81% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Tom was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
5,068 babies were named Tom in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Tom compares
139,756 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Tom's all-time total is 381x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tom | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 139,756 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 5,068 | 23 | 22,252 |
Tom's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tom's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 42% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 58%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2024, with only 48 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 5,068, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tom at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#2,715
Active since
1880
Tom popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 5,068
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Tom popularity over time - girls
614 total births recorded since 1883 (Tom as girls' name)
Tom by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Tom's strongest decade.
29,884 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Tom births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 3,786
1880s
3,786 births
- 1890s 3,335
1890s
3,335 births
- 1900s 3,293
1900s
3,293 births
- 1910s 7,623
1910s
7,623 births
- 1920s 11,923
1920s
11,923 births
- 1930s
1930s
16,427 births
- 1940s
1940s
29,884 births
- 1950s
1950s
23,754 births
- 1960s
1960s
29,201 births
- 1970s 4,864
1970s
4,864 births
- 1980s 1,984
1980s
1,984 births
- 1990s 1,454
1990s
1,454 births
- 2000s 1,097
2000s
1,097 births
- 2010s 786
2010s
786 births
- 2020s 345
2020s
345 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 29,884 births (21% of all-time use).
How Tom compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Tom's total volume
Tom vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Tom by state
Where Tom concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 15,262 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 9,685 | 6.9% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 9,399 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 7,901 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Texas | | 6,879 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Indiana | | 4,593 | 3.3% |
| #7 | New York | | 4,546 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 4,519 | 3.2% |
California share of Tom's total US births 10.9%
Even split
15,262 of 139,756 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Tom appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tom? ▼
139,756 babies have been named Tom since 1880. It currently ranks #2715 among boys. The peak year was 1959 with 5,068 births.
When was Tom most popular? ▼
Tom was most popular in the 1940s decade with 29,884 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Tom most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tom are California (15,262 births), Ohio (9,685 births), Illinois (9,399 births).
How long has the name Tom been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tom since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Tom? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Tommy, Tommie, Tomas, Tomie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Tom's data
- Tom's decade-level peak was the 1940s (29,884 total births); usage has since declined to 345 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Toms (15,262 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Tom
Nearby Names Like Tom
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tom
Tommy Boy
#731 178,733 births
Tommie Boy
#4574 34,446 births
Tomas Boy
#735 30,703 births
Tomie Boy
904 births
Tomasz Boy
#10097 776 births
Compare Tom side by side: Tom vs Tommy Tom vs Tommie Tom vs Tomas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tom
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tom: #2715 Boys' Name - 139,756 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tom. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Tom draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.