Tommy Boy

Popularity: #561 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: TOM-ee //ˈtɑːmi//

Origin: English; diminutive of Thomas

Meaning: Twin (Aramaic); a nickname for Thomas

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Tommy is derived from the name Thomas, which has its roots in the Aramaic name Ta'oma, meaning "twin." This name was adopted into Greek as Thomas (Θωμάς) and subsequently into Latin as Thomas, before making its way into Old French as Thomas and finally into Middle English as Thomas. The diminutive form Tommy emerged as a familiar or affectionate variant of Thomas, particularly in English-speaking cultures, during the late medieval period, reflecting a common linguistic practice of creating diminutives from longer names.

Historically, the name Thomas is significant due to its association with biblical figures, most notably Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is recognized for his skepticism regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This biblical connection contributed to the name's popularity in Christian communities throughout the Middle Ages.

The name was further popularized by the translation of the Bible into English, particularly in the King James Version published in 1611, which helped to solidify its usage in English-speaking regions. Culturally, the name Tommy has resonated through various literary and artistic works, often symbolizing innocence or youthfulness.

It has appeared in numerous works of fiction, including the character Tommy in the 19th-century novel "Tom Brown's School Days" by Thomas Hughes, which reflects themes of boyhood and education. The name's enduring presence in literature and its affectionate diminutive form have contributed to its lasting significance in various cultural contexts, embodying qualities of familiarity and warmth.

Famous people named Tommy

In this section, you will find notable people named Tommy. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Tommy who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Tommy who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Tommy Lee is a musician best known for being the drummer of Mötley Crüe.

Tommy Hilfiger is a fashion designer best known for his eponymous clothing brand.

Tommy Wiseau is a filmmaker best known for The Room.

Tommy Smothers is a comedian best known for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Tommy Chong is an actor and comedian best known for Cheech & Chong and That '70s Show.

Tommy Morrison is a former professional boxer best known for being a WBO heavyweight champion.

Tommy Lasorda is a former baseball manager best known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tommy Davidson is a comedian and actor best known for In Living Color and Booty Call.

Tommy James is a musician best known for his work with Tommy James and the Shondells.

Tommy Franks is a retired four-star general best known for his leadership during the Iraq War.

Fictional characters named Tommy

The following list of fictional characters named Tommy is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Tommy Pickles is a fictional character from the animated television series Rugrats. He is the adventurous and brave leader of the group of toddlers navigating their world.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Tommy, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

TimmyJimmyBobbyDannyBillyJohnny

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Tommy. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

TobyTeddyTalonTannerTroyTobiasTomas

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Tommy was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Tommy has ranked as high as #159 nationally, which occurred in 1947, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Tommy has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Tommy is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Tommy was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Tommy.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 455 420 35
2024 386 360 26
2023 407 387 20
2022 374 358 16
2021 363 351 12
2020 332 326 6
2019 368 361 7
2018 332 332 0
2017 345 345 0
2016 322 322 0
2015 355 355 0
2014 333 333 0
2013 368 368 0
2012 388 388 0
2011 368 368 0
2010 420 420 0
2009 471 471 0
2008 532 525 7
2007 543 543 0
2006 586 586 0
2005 632 626 6
2004 695 686 9
2003 679 670 9
2002 809 801 8
2001 848 842 6
2000 967 959 8
1999 967 959 8
1998 951 951 0
1997 1,003 995 8
1996 871 862 9
1995 861 852 9
1994 837 831 6
1993 830 820 10
1992 891 884 7
1991 910 903 7
1990 989 981 8
1989 964 958 6
1988 958 946 12
1987 996 987 9
1986 981 965 16
1985 998 981 17
1984 985 975 10
1983 1,027 1,007 20
1982 1,188 1,171 17
1981 1,225 1,213 12
1980 1,279 1,259 20
1979 1,303 1,278 25
1978 1,346 1,321 25
1977 1,358 1,332 26
1976 1,414 1,393 21
1975 1,587 1,554 33
1974 1,610 1,579 31
1973 1,772 1,731 41
1972 1,820 1,773 47
1971 2,043 1,994 49
1970 2,280 2,220 60
1969 2,311 2,249 62
1968 2,417 2,369 48
1967 2,414 2,356 58
1966 2,507 2,465 42
1965 2,781 2,719 62
1964 3,252 3,205 47
1963 3,547 3,498 49
1962 3,451 3,415 36
1961 3,457 3,406 51
1960 3,728 3,683 45
1959 3,817 3,772 45
1958 3,888 3,833 55
1957 3,713 3,679 34
1956 3,140 3,109 31
1955 3,211 3,177 34
1954 3,435 3,407 28
1953 3,498 3,469 29
1952 3,542 3,512 30
1951 3,610 3,582 28
1950 3,460 3,434 26
1949 3,912 3,886 26
1948 4,248 4,220 28
1947 4,649 4,594 55
1946 4,178 4,144 34
1945 3,483 3,449 34
1944 3,745 3,696 49
1943 3,637 3,611 26
1942 3,587 3,532 55
1941 3,125 3,087 38
1940 2,858 2,827 31
1939 2,664 2,622 42
1938 2,714 2,667 47
1937 2,359 2,326 33
1936 2,144 2,108 36
1935 2,066 2,032 34
1934 1,971 1,937 34
1933 1,664 1,630 34
1932 1,647 1,613 34
1931 1,576 1,536 40
1930 1,422 1,386 36
1929 1,207 1,164 43
1928 1,115 1,062 53
1927 921 878 43
1926 802 751 51
1925 756 705 51
1924 607 568 39
1923 506 479 27
1922 530 498 32
1921 436 400 36
1920 367 344 23
1919 333 298 35
1918 335 297 38
1917 285 262 23
1916 227 210 17
1915 215 193 22
1914 195 181 14
1913 131 120 11
1912 100 91 9
1911 71 71 0
1910 90 82 8
1909 66 59 7
1908 63 57 6
1907 44 44 0
1906 28 28 0
1905 46 37 9
1904 32 32 0
1903 54 44 10
1902 32 32 0
1901 31 31 0
1900 42 42 0
1899 21 21 0
1898 18 18 0
1897 15 15 0
1896 17 17 0
1895 25 20 5
1894 14 14 0
1893 16 16 0
1892 16 16 0
1891 8 8 0
1890 14 14 0
1889 9 9 0
1888 10 10 0
1887 18 18 0
1886 13 13 0
1885 7 7 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 11 11 0
1882 7 7 0
1881 8 8 0
1880 5 5 0

Top States for Tommy (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 55
18%
TX 48
15%
NY 20
6%
FL 16
5%
UT 16
5%
NC 11
4%
MS 10
3%
AR 9
3%
AZ 9
3%
OH 9
3%
OK 9
3%
GA 9
3%
TN 9
3%
CO 7
2%
LA 7
2%
MI 7
2%
SC 7
2%
IL 7
2%
AL 7
2%
MA 6
2%
MO 6
2%
ID 6
2%
IN 6
2%
WA 6
2%
KY 5
2%
MT 5
2%