Tom vs Zak
Tom and Zakcompared 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, Tom was ranked #48 and Zak #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Tom was ranked #60 and Zak #256 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Tom was ranked #352 and Zak #218 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Tom was ranked #757 and Zak #592 among boys in England and Wales.
Tom and Zak over time
Tom and Zak appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Tom held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Zak 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.
Zak reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 2005, Zak moved ahead of Tom in England and Wales · Boys — #97 and #105 the year before became #104 and #100.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Tom rose about as far as Zak fell — from #192 and #169 in 1997 to #60 and #256 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Tom and Zak were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #48 and #676.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
Tom held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Zak in 0.
Highest recorded here: Tom #32 in 2018, Zak #225 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Tom #48, Zak #676.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Tom held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Zak in 20.
Highest recorded here: Tom #83 in 2000, Zak #100 in 2005.
The order changed in 2005: Zak moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #97 and #105; by 2005 that had become #104 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Tom #757, Zak #592.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Tom held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Zak in 1.
Highest recorded here: Tom #42 in 2016, Zak #111 in 2009.
The order changed in 1998: Tom moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #192 and #169; by 1998 that had become #144 and #207.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Tom #60, Zak #256.
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 | Tom | Zak |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (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
- Tom and Zak both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Zak
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #275 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #100 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys