Leo vs Thomas
Leo 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
Leo and Thomas over time
Leo and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Leo in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Thomas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Leo 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Leo moved ahead of Thomas in England and Wales · Boys — #13 and #9 the year before became #7 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Leo and Thomas changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #12 and #11.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Leo and Thomas averaged 53.9 places apart, ending at #5 and #26.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Leo rose about as far as Thomas fell — from #86 and #9 in 2003 to #5 and #18 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and Thomas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #28 and #106.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Thomas in 60.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, Thomas #5 in 1965.
The order changed in 2025: Leo moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #22 and #14; by 2025 that had become #10 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, Thomas #16.
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1947–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Thomas in 42.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, Thomas #1 in 1974.
The order changed in 2011: Leo moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #60 and #46; by 2011 that had become #60 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, Thomas #106.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Thomas in 21.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order changed in 2017: Leo moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #13 and #9; by 2017 that had become #7 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Thomas in 25.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, Thomas #11.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Thomas in 13.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, Thomas #8 in 2006.
The order changed in 2016: Leo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #24 and #12; by 2016 that had become #9 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Thomas #18.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Thomas in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, Thomas #5 in 2010.
The order changed in 2019: Leo moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #9 and #6; by 2019 that had become #5 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, Thomas #13.
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 | Leo | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Latin | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ˈtɑməs/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Thomas.
- Leo'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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 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