Thomas (name)
The name Thomas is derived from the Aramaic personal name תאומא /tɑʔwmɑʔ/, meaning "twin" and "leader." The English spelling "Thomas" is a transliteration of the approximate Greek transliteration, Θωμάς. Thomas is recorded in the Greek New Testament as the name of Thomas the Apostle (one of the twelve apostles of Jesus).
 Saint Thomas the Apostle | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɒməs/ French: [tɔma] German: [ˈtoːmas] Dutch: [ˈtoːmɑs] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Name day | July 3 |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Aramaic |
| Meaning | "twin", "alike looking man" |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Tom, Tommaso, Tomé, Tŏmas, Tomas, Tomás, Tomasz, Tommy, Tamás, Thom, Thomáz, Touma |
| See also | Andrew Charles Herman |
Etymology
The masculine noun תאם (to'am) occurs throughout Semitic languages, always meaning twin.[1]
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 (11th century CE), 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.[2]
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.[3] In 2017 it ranked 48th in popularity with 7,131 babies given the name.[4]
In other languages
- Afrikaans: Thomas
- Albanian: Thomas
- Czech: Tomáš
- Dutch: Thomas, Thom
- English: Thomas, Tom
- Estonian: Tomas, Toomas
- Finnish: Tuomas
- Flemish: Thom, Thomas
- French: Thomas
- German: Thomas, Tomas, Tom
- Italian: Tommaso, Tomaso
- Latvian: Tomass, Tomas, Toms
- Lithuanian: Tomas
- Norwegian: Thomas
- Polish: Tomasz
- Portuguese: Tommasso
- Russian: Томас
- Serbian: Thomas, Tomas
- Slovak: Tomáš
- Slovene: Thomaž
- Spanish: Tomás
- Swedish: Thomas, Tomas
See also
- Tom (given name)
- Tommy / Tommie - both are a nickname or shortened form of Thomas, and are sometimes used as a feminine form of Thomas.
- Tomi - a Finnish masculine name but also used as a feminine name elsewhere.
- Thomasina or Thomasine - the feminine form of Thomas
- List of people with given name Thomas
- Yama, a Hindu deity whose name also means "twin" in Sanskrit
References
- "The amazing name Thomas: meaning and etymology". Abarim Publications. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- Elliott, Annabel Fenwick. "The most popular baby names in countries around the world – and what they mean". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- "Top Names Over the Last 100 Years". www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- "Popular Baby Names". www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 6 December 2018.