Ali vs Thom
Ali and Thomcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2019, Ali was ranked #128 and Thom #3937 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Ali was ranked #290 and Thom #616 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Ali was ranked #334 and Thom #334 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Ali and Thom over time
Ali and Thom appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Ali held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Thom in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Thom reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ali in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2019
Ali held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Thom in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #123 in 2002, Thom #1055 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ali #128, Thom #3937.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ali | Thom |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with 'elevated' or 'lofty, sublime', from the Arabic root 'to be high'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Arabic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæli/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #334 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ali has a recorded origin (Arabic); Thom does not have one recorded yet.
- Ali has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Thom.
- A meaning is recorded for Ali; Thom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ali
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #245 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Thom
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1591 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2020
Highest recorded position: #334 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2013–2020).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020.
Northern Ireland · Boys