Namewise

Patrick vs Thomas

Patrick 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.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2020, Patrick was ranked #93 and Thomas #8 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Patrick was ranked #26 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Patrick was ranked #83 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Patrick was ranked #25 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Patrick was ranked #125 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Patrick was ranked #134 and Thomas #35 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Patrick was ranked #327 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.

Patrick and Thomas over time

Patrick and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 328 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Patrick 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.

Patrick reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Thomas 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 2023, Thomas moved ahead of Patrick in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #15 and #16 the year before became #19 and #18.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Patrick and Thomas changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 2025, ending at #83 and #13.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 74 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Patrick and Thomas averaged 26.4 places apart, ending at #83 and #13.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 64 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Thomas rose about as far as Patrick fell — from #60 and #45 in 1954 to #93 and #8 in 2020.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Patrick and Thomas were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #134 and #35.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Patrick #66 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.

List by list

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

    Patrick held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Thomas in 60.

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #30 in 1994, Thomas #3 in 2000.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #83, Thomas #13.

  • Norway · Boys70 shared years, 1948–2025

    Patrick held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 70.

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #67 in 1989, Thomas #1 in 1974.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #327, Thomas #106.

  • New Zealand · Boys64 shared years, 1954–2020

    Patrick held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Thomas in 61.

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #45 in 1967, Thomas #4 in 2001.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2020: Patrick #93, Thomas #8.

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

    Patrick held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Thomas in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #2 in 1964, Thomas #5 in 1965.

    The order changed in 2023: Thomas moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #15 and #16; by 2023 that had become #19 and #18.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #25, Thomas #16.

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

    Patrick held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #66 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #134, Thomas #35.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

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

    Highest recorded here: Patrick #18 in 2003, Thomas #6 in 2020.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Patrick #26, 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 Patrick

Pairs where Patrick 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 Republic of Ireland lists

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

Republic of Ireland 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 Patrick, Thomas
FieldPatrickThomas
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint.The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'.
OriginLatinAramaic, via Greek
Pronunciation/ˈpæt.ɹɪk//ˈtɑməs/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesPádraig, PádraicNot 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 #25 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #13 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Patrick is recorded with a Latin origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
  • Patrick and Thomas both have 2 syllables.
  • Patrick'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 Patrick 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

Patrick

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1948

    First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #134 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