James vs Tom
James 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, James was ranked #1 and Tom #60 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Tom #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, James was ranked #6 and Tom #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Tom #388 among boys in Norway.
James and Tom over time
James and Tom appear together in 4 published lists, across 182 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tom in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Tom 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Tom changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #355 and #388.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Tom were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #355 and #388.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — James #1 in 2015, Tom #42 in 2016.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2025
James held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Tom in 75.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Tom #12 in 1960.
The order changed in 2024: James moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #312 and #295; by 2024 that had become #264 and #303.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Tom #388.
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1980–2025
James held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Tom in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Tom #48.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tom in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Tom in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, 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 | James | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- James has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus); Tom does not have one recorded yet.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tom.
- A meaning is recorded for James; Tom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Tom 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
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
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 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