Namewise

James vs Thomas

James 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, James was ranked #1 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #42 and Thomas #35 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.

James and Thomas over time

James and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 344 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Thomas in 2.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Thomas 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

    James and Thomas changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 2025, ending at #15 and #13.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Thomas averaged 4.9 places apart, ending at #42 and #35.

  • Longest-running competitions

    James and Thomas were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #42 and #35.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — James #2 in 1997, Thomas #2 in 1998.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2025

    James held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 80.

    Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Thomas #1 in 1974.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Thomas #106.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys74 shared years, 1952–2025

    James held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Thomas in 21.

    Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, Thomas #3 in 2000.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Thomas #13.

  • New Zealand · Boys70 shared years, 1954–2023

    James held the stronger position in 67 of those years, Thomas in 3.

    Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Thomas #4 in 2001.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Thomas #18.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Thomas in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Thomas #5 in 1965.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Thomas #16.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    James held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Thomas in 29.

    Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Thomas #2 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #42, Thomas #35.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Thomas in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Thomas #6 in 2020.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving James

Pairs where James shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Thomas

Pairs where Thomas shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of James, Thomas
FieldJamesThomas
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningSupplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'.
OriginHebrew, via Late Latin IacomusAramaic, via Greek
Pronunciation/ˈdʒeɪmz//ˈtɑməs/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesJim, Jamie, IacomusNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
  • James and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
  • James'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.
  • The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Thomas a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

James

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Thomas

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1974 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys