Sam vs Tom
Sam 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Sam was ranked #50 and Tom #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #187 and Tom #60 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, Sam was ranked #73 and Tom #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #127 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Sam was ranked #289 and Tom #388 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Sam was ranked #334 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Sam and Tom over time
Sam and Tom appear together in 4 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tom in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sam 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Tom moved ahead of Sam in Northern Ireland · Boys — #70 and #80 the year before became #102 and #72.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sam and Tom changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1983 and 2025, ending at #50 and #48.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Sam and Tom averaged 37.4 places apart, ending at #187 and #60.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Tom rose about as far as Sam fell — from #100 and #192 in 1997 to #187 and #60 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Sam and Tom were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 58 years, from 1959 to 2025, ending at #289 and #388.
List by list
Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1959–2025
Sam held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Tom in 44.
Highest recorded here: Sam #171 in 2024, Tom #12 in 1960.
The order changed in 2013: Sam moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #289 and #268; by 2013 that had become #220 and #273.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sam #289, Tom #388.
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1983–2025
Sam held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Tom in 15.
Highest recorded here: Sam #38 in 2015, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Sam #50, Tom #48.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tom in 0.
Highest recorded here: Sam #47 in 1996, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #334, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Sam held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Tom in 11.
Highest recorded here: Sam #44 in 2005, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order changed in 2015: Tom moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #70 and #80; by 2015 that had become #102 and #72.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Sam #187, 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 | Sam | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 #50 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Sam and Tom both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Sam
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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