Given name & surname
Tommy
“a twin”·“twin”
In English use, Tommy is a diminutive of Thomasina. In Hebrew use, Thomasina carries the interpretation “a twin.” In German use, Tommy is a short form of Thomas. The original Aramaic byname means “twin.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Tommy is a diminutive of Thomasina. In Hebrew use, Thomasina carries the interpretation “a twin.” In German use, Tommy is a short form of Thomas. The original Aramaic byname means “twin.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Tommy is a short form of Thomas. Thomas developed from an Aramaic byname and reached wider use through its Greek biblical form.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Tommy is a diminutive of Thomas. In German use, Tommy is a short form of Thomas. The shared background comes through Thomas: The apostle is called Thomas and also Didymus in the New Testament. Didymus reflects the Greek word for “twin,” matching the meaning of the Aramaic byname behind Thomas.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In German use, Tommy is a short form of Thomas. The history of Thomas gives this family its wider story. Thomas was the name of one of Jesus’s twelve apostles, remembered in Christian tradition for his doubts and later reassurance. That story helped establish the name across Christian naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Tommy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 181,675
- 178,733 boys · 2,942 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 4,649 babies
- 2025
- 455
- #658 for boys · #4,161 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +17%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 97% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 420 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 658 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 4,594 in 1947. It also appeared in 35 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (50). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 101,695 as a first name in 2020; 468 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Tommy’s family of names
In English usage, Tommy is a diminutive of Thomas. In English usage, Tommy shares a linguistic root with the Finnish form TOMMI. In English usage, Tommy has a related form in Tommie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Tommy has relatives in 13 languages.
14 related names in 13 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Thomasfull form · English, French
- Tommievariant · English
- Tomfull form
- Tommivariant · German, Finnish
- Thomasinafull form · English
- Tommyevariant · English
- Tommmylikely variant
- Tommeelikely variant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 28
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Tomasequivalent
- Tomiequivalent
- Tomaequivalent
- Tommasoequivalent
- Tomaszequivalent
- Thomaequivalent
- Tomyequivalent
- Tomoequivalent
Show 20 moreShow fewer
- Thomequivalent
- Thommeenequivalent
- Tomaidhequivalent · Scottish Gaelic
- תומיequivalent · Hebrew
- ΘωμάκοςGreek
- TomekPolish
- Tomasitoequivalent · Spanish
- Toméequivalent
- Fomaequivalent
- Tomažequivalent
- Tomasoequivalent
- Tomásequivalent
- Tamásequivalent
- Фомаequivalent
- Tomosequivalent
- Toomasequivalent
- Tomassoequivalent
- Tomášequivalent
- टॉमीMarathi
- ТоммиUkrainian, Russian
People named Tommy
- Tommy Lee JonesAmerican actor and film director (born 1946)
- Tommy Lister Jr.American actor and wrestler (1958–2020)
- Tommy HilfigerAmerican fashion designerborn 1951
- Tommy HaasGerman tennis playerborn 1978
- Tommy RobredoSpanish tennis player (born 1982)
- Tommy LeeAmerican drummer (born 1962)
- Tommy WiseauAmerican actor and filmmakerborn 1955
- Mr LordiFinnish rock musicianborn 1974
- Tommy EmmanuelAustralian guitaristborn 1955
Characters named Tommy: Tommy Vercetti (Protagonist of the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders), Tommy Atkins (nickname for a British Soldier, especially used during World War I), Tommy Oliver (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Tommy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Sammy
“God has heard” · “asked of God”
84% boys · 16% girls
Benny
“a pretty and charming girl” · “son of the south; son of the right hand”
96% boys · 4% girls
Tommey
“twin”
>99% boys
Tohy
“The Lord is good”
—
Adlai
“God is just” · “The Lord is just; an orna-i ment”
75% boys · 25% girls
Tomkin
“little Tom; son of Tom; the smaller of twins” · “twin”
—
Tòmas
“twin”
>99% boys
Tombling
“twin”
—