Ryan vs Thomas
Ryan 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, Ryan was ranked #104 and Thomas #11 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ryan was ranked #81 and Thomas #13 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ryan was ranked #57 and Thomas #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ryan was ranked #57 and Thomas #18 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ryan was ranked #104 and Thomas #20 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ryan was ranked #132 and Thomas #26 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ryan was ranked #364 and Thomas #106 among boys in Norway.
Ryan and Thomas over time
Ryan and Thomas appear together in 6 published lists, across 261 years of shared records. Thomas held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ryan 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.
Thomas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ryan 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2013, Thomas moved ahead of Ryan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #8 and #14 the year before became #13 and #11.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ryan and Thomas changed places 14 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1972 and 2023, ending at #57 and #18.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ryan and Thomas averaged 43.4 places apart, ending at #132 and #26.
- Longest-running competitions
Ryan and Thomas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1973 to 2025, ending at #81 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ryan #7 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1971–2025
Ryan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Thomas in 39.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #6 in 2008, Thomas #6 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ryan #57, Thomas #16.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1973–2025
Ryan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Thomas in 42.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #8 in 2004, Thomas #3 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ryan #81, Thomas #13.
New Zealand · Boys52 shared years, 1972–2023
Ryan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Thomas in 42.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #10 in 2006, Thomas #4 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ryan #57, Thomas #18.
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1977–2025
Ryan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 44.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #249 in 2015, Thomas #1 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ryan #364, Thomas #106.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ryan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Thomas in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #7 in 1996, Thomas #2 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ryan #132, Thomas #26.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ryan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Thomas in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #2 in 1997, Thomas #6 in 2020.
The order changed in 2013: Thomas moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #8 and #14; by 2013 that had become #13 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ryan #104, 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.
Side by side
| Field | Ryan | Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. | The Greek form of the Aramaic name meaning 'twin'. |
| Origin | Irish (surname origin) | Aramaic, via Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ | /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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (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
- Ryan is recorded with a Irish (surname origin) origin, while Thomas is recorded with a Aramaic, via Greek origin.
- Ryan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Thomas.
- Ryan'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
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 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