Ethan vs Thomas
Ethan and Thomascompared 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, Ethan was ranked #57 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and Thomas over time
Ethan and Thomas appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ethan in 0.
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, Ethan in 2. 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
Ethan and Thomas changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1991 and 2025, ending at #49 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Thomas averaged 20.7 places apart, ending at #48 and #26.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Thomas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #49 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Ethan #5 in 2002, Thomas #4 in 2001.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Thomas #11 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Thomas #16.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Thomas in 32.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Thomas #3 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, Thomas #13.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Thomas in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Thomas #4 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Thomas #18.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Thomas in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, Thomas #11.
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 | Ethan | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːθən/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Ethan and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan's recorded meaning differs from Thomas's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys