Erik vs Thomas
Erik and Thomas compared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Erik was ranked #404 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Erik was ranked #468 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Erik was ranked #404 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Erik was ranked #408 and Thomas #35 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Erik was ranked #64 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
Erik and Thomas over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Erik and Thomas over time
Erik and Thomas appear together in 3 published lists, across 148 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Erik in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Thomas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Erik 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Erik and Thomas changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #64 and #106.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, Erik and Thomas averaged 47.6 places apart, ending at #64 and #106.
- Longest-running competitions
Erik and Thomas were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #408 and #35.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Erik held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Thomas in 38.
Highest recorded here: Erik #15 in 1981, Thomas #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Erik #64, Thomas #106.
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1971–2025
Erik held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 37.
Highest recorded here: Erik #235 in 1988, Thomas #6 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Erik #468, Thomas #16.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Erik held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 30.
Highest recorded here: Erik #310 in 2021, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Erik #408, Thomas #35.
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 | Erik | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally interpreted as 'eternal ruler' or 'honoured ruler'; historically a name borne by kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Old Norse | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeːrɪk/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #64 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Erik is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Erik and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
- Erik's recorded meaning differs from Thomas's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Erik
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #27 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in Norway, in 1981 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #408 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Thomas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #177 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys