Isaac vs Tom
Isaac and Tomcompared 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, Isaac was ranked #26 and Tom #60 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Isaac was ranked #37 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, Isaac was ranked #41 and Tom #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Isaac was ranked #104 and Tom #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Isaac was ranked #49 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Isaac was ranked #251 and Tom #388 among boys in Norway.
Isaac and Tom over time
Isaac and Tom appear together in 4 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Tom reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Isaac in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1997, Isaac moved ahead of Tom in England and Wales · Boys — #104 and #102 the year before became #102 and #105.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Isaac and Tom averaged 32.3 places apart, ending at #26 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Isaac and Tom were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1974 to 2025, ending at #251 and #388.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #104 and #102 in England and Wales · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2024 they were #37 and #757.
List by list
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1974–2025
Isaac held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Tom in 27.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #164 in 2014, Tom #18 in 1974.
The order changed in 2021: Isaac moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #320 and #293; by 2021 that had become #237 and #349.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isaac #251, Tom #388.
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2025
Isaac held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tom in 33.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #77 in 2014, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isaac #104, Tom #48.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Isaac held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Tom in 1.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #20 in 2015, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order changed in 1997: Isaac moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #104 and #102; by 1997 that had become #102 and #105.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isaac #37, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Isaac held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Tom in 10.
Highest recorded here: Isaac #20 in 2020, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order changed in 2008: Isaac moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #87 and #76; by 2008 that had become #71 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isaac #26, Tom #60.
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 | Isaac | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally understood as 'he will laugh' or 'he laughs', tied to the biblical narrative in which Abraham and Sarah laugh at the prophecy of Isaac's birth in their old age. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, transmitted into English via Greek Isaak and Late Latin Isaac | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪzək/ | 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, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Isaac has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, transmitted into English via Greek Isaak and Late Latin Isaac); Tom does not have one recorded yet.
- Isaac has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tom.
- A meaning is recorded for Isaac; Tom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Isaac
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2015 (recorded 1990–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Tom
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #50 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: #12 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #388 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys