How popular is the baby name Tom in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Tom.

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Popularity of the baby name Tom


Posts that mention the name Tom

What popularized the baby name Jonah in the mid-1990s?

The character Jonah Baldwin from the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993)
Jonah Baldwin from “Sleepless in Seattle“

The name Jonah saw a sharp increase in usage during the 1990s, according to the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1996: 1,569 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 197th]
  • 1995: 1,370 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 215th]
  • 1994: 1,178 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 245th]
  • 1993: 449 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 469th]
  • 1992: 225 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 693rd]
  • 1991: 246 baby boys named Jonah [rank: 649th]

What was behind the rise?

My guess is a young character from the classic rom-com Sleepless in Seattle, which was released in June of 1993.

In the movie, Jonah Baldwin (played by Ross Malinger) was the 8-year-old son of widowed Sam Baldwin (played by Tom Hanks) of Seattle.

On Christmas Eve, Jonah called in to a radio talk show and told the host that he wished his father could find a new partner. Minutes later, Sam joined Jonah on the line and talked to the host — who dubbed him ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ — about how much he missed his late wife. (“She made everything beautiful.”)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Baltimore Sun reporter Annie Reed (played by Meg Ryan) happened to hear the radio show while driving. Annie, despite having a fiancé, became captivated by Sam and set out to find him. (“What if this man is my destiny and I never meet him?”)

After some sleuthing, Annie found Sam’s address and wrote him a letter proposing that they meet atop the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. (Hundreds of other women had also written letters to Sam [via the radio show], but Jonah liked Annie’s letter best because it mentioned Baltimore baseball player Brooks Robinson.)

I won’t divulge the rest of the plot, but, as film critic Roger Ebert noted in his review, Sleepless in Seattle was essentially “about two people who are destined for one another.”

It was also the eighth highest-grossing movie of 1993. (In tenth place that year was The Pelican Brief.)

The biblical name Jonah is derived from the Hebrew word yona, which means “dove.” (The similar name Jonas has the same origin.)

What are your thoughts on the name Jonah?

P.S. Sleepless in Seattle also managed to nudge the usage of the rare name Seattle above the SSA’s five-baby threshold for the first time ever in 1994.

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of Sleepless in Seattle

Popular baby names in France, 2023

Flag of France
Flag of France

Last year, the European country of France welcomed about 678,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Louise and Gabriel.

Here are France’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Louise, 3,177 baby girls
  2. Ambre, 3,168
  3. Alba, 3,088
  4. Jade, 2,891
  5. Emma, 2,663
  6. Rose, 2,375
  7. Alma, 2,342
  8. Alice, 2,256
  9. Romy, 2,198
  10. Anna, 2,129
  11. Eva, 2,113
  12. Lina, 2,075
  13. Mia, 2,012
  14. Inaya, 1,845 (tie)
  15. Agathe, 1,845 (tie)
  16. Lou, 1,844
  17. Julia, 1,836
  18. Iris, 1,776
  19. Léna, 1,702
  20. Giulia, 1,679
  21. Charlie, 1,678
  22. Adèle, 1,663
  23. Victoire, 1,634
  24. Olivia, 1,612
  25. Chloé, 1,577
  26. Léa, 1,558
  27. Juliette, 1,544 (tie)
  28. Jeanne, 1,544 (tie)
  29. Luna, 1,480
  30. Nina, 1,478
  31. Nour, 1,415
  32. Léonie, 1,398
  33. Zoé, 1,374
  34. Sofia, 1,283
  35. Victoria, 1,247
  36. Romane, 1,241
  37. Lola, 1,217
  38. Lya, 1,151
  39. Ava, 1,149
  40. Alya, 1,146
  41. Lucie, 1,087
  42. Alix, 1,080
  43. Charlotte, 1,064
  44. Lyana, 1,048
  45. Elena, 1,029
  46. Inès, 1,012
  47. Mila, 1,009
  48. Emy, 993
  49. Margaux, 984
  50. Albane, 979

Boy names

  1. Gabriel, 4,527 baby boys
  2. Raphaël, 3,477
  3. Léo, 3,454
  4. Louis, 3,331
  5. Maël, 3,280
  6. Noah, 3,163
  7. Jules, 3,020
  8. Adam, 2,966
  9. Arthur, 2,915
  10. Isaac, 2,551
  11. Liam, 2,462
  12. Sacha, 2,446
  13. Eden, 2,387
  14. Lucas, 2,324
  15. Gabin, 2,246
  16. Léon, 2,226
  17. Mohamed, 2,138
  18. Hugo, 2,023
  19. Naël, 1,973
  20. Noé, 1,966
  21. Marceau, 1,960
  22. Aaron, 1,952
  23. Paul, 1,951
  24. Ethan, 1,858
  25. Ayden, 1,850
  26. Nathan, 1,697
  27. Marius, 1,620
  28. Théo, 1,613
  29. Ibrahim, 1,597
  30. Malo, 1,572
  31. Elio, 1,459
  32. Tom, 1,458
  33. Nino, 1,447
  34. Victor, 1,413
  35. Martin, 1,411 (tie)
  36. Eliott, 1,411 (tie)
  37. Mathis, 1,410
  38. Lyam, 1,371
  39. Gaspard, 1,349
  40. Imran, 1,277
  41. Milo, 1,198 (tie)
  42. Augustin, 1,198 (tie)
  43. Robin, 1,181
  44. Valentin, 1,173
  45. Timéo, 1,159
  46. Léandre, 1,157
  47. Axel, 1,151
  48. Antoine, 1,129
  49. Nolan, 1,128
  50. Tiago, 1,123 (3-way tie)
  51. Sohan, 1,123 (3-way tie)
  52. Côme, 1,123 (3-way tie)

More than 1,000 babies separated the #1 boy name (Gabriel) from the #2 boy name (Raphaël), while fewer than 10 separated the #1 girl name (Louise) from the #2 girl name (Ambre). Quite a contrast.

The girls’ top 100 included Lyna (57th), Apolline (64th), Clémence (70th), and Zélie (96th).

The boys’ top 100 included Kaïs (53rd), Mahé (66th), Livio (78th), and Timothée (95th).

Finally, here are France’s 2022 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Classement des prénoms en France depuis 1900 – Insee, Demographic report 2023 – Insee

Image: Adapted from Flag of France (public domain)

Popular baby names in Northern Ireland (UK), 2023

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

Northern Ireland — which was partitioned from the rest of Ireland more than a century ago — is a constituent country of the United Kingdom (along with England, Scotland, and Wales).

What were the most popular baby names in Northern Ireland last year? Isla and Noah.

Here are the Northern Ireland’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Isla, 147 baby girls – pronounced IE-la
  2. Fiadh, 138 – pronounced FEE-a
  3. Grace, 137
  4. Emily, 136
  5. Olivia, 126
  6. Lily, 108
  7. Ella, 97
  8. Aoife, 94 – pronounced EE-fa
  9. Amelia, 92
  10. Freya, 90
  11. Charlotte, 87
  12. Annie, 84 (tie)
  13. Sophie, 84 (tie)
  14. Anna, 83
  15. Eabha, 79 – pronounced EY-va
  16. Ellie, 77
  17. Sophia, 76
  18. Evie, 74
  19. Ava, 73
  20. Maisie, 70
  21. Clodagh, 66 – pronounced KLOH-da
  22. Mia, 63 (tie)
  23. Sadie, 63 (tie)
  24. Rosie, 62 (tie)
  25. Ruby, 62 (tie)
  26. Ivy, 60
  27. Molly, 59
  28. Cara, 57 (4-way tie)
  29. Elsie, 57 (4-way tie)
  30. Lottie, 57 (4-way tie)
  31. Meabh, 57 (4-way tie) – pronounced mayv
  32. Zara, 56
  33. Aria, 54
  34. Erin, 53
  35. Ada, 52
  36. Hannah, 51
  37. Saoirse, 50 – pronounced SEER-sha or SAYR-sha
  38. Bonnie, 48
  39. Cora, 47 (4-way tie)
  40. Isabella, 47 (4-way tie)
  41. Lucy, 47 (4-way tie)
  42. Phoebe, 47 (4-way tie)
  43. Katie, 46 (tie)
  44. Niamh, 46 (tie) – pronounced neev or NEE-iv
  45. Rhea, 45 (tie)
  46. Willow, 45 (tie)
  47. Rose, 44
  48. Sofia, 42
  49. Daisy, 41 (tie)
  50. Sienna, 41 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 152 baby boys
  2. Jack, 146
  3. James, 131
  4. Cillian, 128 – pronounced KIL-ee-an
  5. Charlie, 123
  6. Leo, 119
  7. Oisin, 116 – pronounced UH-sheen or OH-sheen
  8. Oliver, 114
  9. Luca, 108 (tie)
  10. Theo, 108 (tie)
  11. Tommy, 105
  12. Thomas, 103
  13. Jude, 93
  14. Arthur, 91
  15. Alfie, 85
  16. Daniel, 84
  17. Daithi, 82 – pronounced DAH-hee
  18. Harry, 77
  19. Ethan, 74
  20. Caleb, 73
  21. Finn, 71
  22. Henry, 70
  23. Ezra, 67 (tie)
  24. Jacob, 67 (tie)
  25. George, 66 (tie)
  26. Oscar, 66 (tie)
  27. Archie, 64 (3-way tie)
  28. Isaac, 64 (3-way tie)
  29. Ollie, 64 (3-way tie)
  30. Ronan, 63
  31. Lorcan, 62
  32. Reuben, 61 (tie)
  33. Shea, 61 (tie)
  34. Fionn, 60 (tie)
  35. Rory, 60 (tie)
  36. Darragh, 59
  37. Rian, 57
  38. Conor, 55 (tie)
  39. Freddie, 55 (tie)
  40. Arlo, 53 (tie)
  41. Patrick, 53 (tie)
  42. Luke, 52 (tie)
  43. Tom, 52 (tie)
  44. Jonah, 51 (tie)
  45. Odhran, 51 (tie) – pronounced OH-rawn
  46. Joshua, 50
  47. Max, 49 (tie)
  48. Theodore, 49 (tie)
  49. Michael, 47
  50. Mason, 46 (tie)
  51. Teddy, 46 (tie)

The names that qualified as the “top climbers” of 2023 were…

  • Rebecca, Rhea, Aurora, and Raya (for girls), and
  • Leon, Donnacha, Albie, and Seth (for boys).

And here’s a selection of uncommon names that were given to just three babies each:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Aizal, Blathnaid, Colleen, Dianaimh, Everly, Georgina, Helen, Ivie, Juniper, Keeley, Laney, Meabha, Neala, Orlagh, Paisley, Searlaith, Tillie, Vera, YasmineAngus, Barney, Connlan, Darren, Ewan, Finbarr, Gearoid, Hamish, Jameson, Kieran, Lughan, Milan, Ned, Orhan, Paraic, Ruaidhri, Scott, Tate, Zayn

What about middle names? The top picks for the middle spot were…

  • Rose, Grace, Mary, Elizabeth, and Marie (for girls), and
  • James, John, Patrick, William, and Thomas (for boys).

Finally, here are Northern Ireland’s 2022 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Source: Baby Names 2023 | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

What gave the baby name Delilah a boost in 2007?

The Plain White T's song "Hey There Delilah" (2005)
“Hey There Delilah” single

According to the U.S. baby name data, Delilah began rising in popularity around the turn of the century. The name finally broke into the girls’ top 100 in 2018.

Along the way, though, there was a conspicuous jump in usage from 2006 to 2008:

  • 2009: 1,704 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 191st]
  • 2008: 1,739 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 193rd]
  • 2007: 1,136 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 297th]
  • 2006: 539 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 547th]
  • 2005: 487 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 585th]
  • 2004: 473 baby girls named Delilah [rank: 595th]

Here’s a visual:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Delilah in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Delilah

Several variant forms (including Delila, Dalilah, and Delyla) saw peak usage in 2008 specifically.

What was drawing extra attention to the name around that time?

The catchy love song “Hey There Delilah” by the band Plain White T’s.

The version of the song that became popular was released as a single in May of 2006. It didn’t appear on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, however, until nearly a year later — April of 2007. The sleeper hit finally climbed to the #1 spot during the summer of 2007.

Here’s what it sounds like:

The band’s vocalist, Tom Higgenson, had written the song back in 2003 after meeting a woman named Delilah DiCrescenzo.

“I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen,” he says. “I told her, ‘I have a song about you already.’ Obviously, there was no song. But I thought it was smooth.”

DiCrescenzo was in a relationship at the time, so she and Tom never dated. But they did attend the Grammy Awards together (as friends) in early 2008 when “Hey There Delilah” was nominated for both Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

The specific variant Dlila, which debuted in 2007, may also have a secondary influence: a celebrity baby. Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and his longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Porter, welcomed twin girls in December of 2006. The babies were named D’Lila Star and Jessie James after their great-grandmothers Lila Mae Star (Porter’s grandmother) and Jessie Smalls (Combs’ grandmother).

What are your thoughts on the name Delilah?

P.S. The name’s slightly higher usage in 1969 and 1970 could be due to another name-song performed by another Tom: “Delilah” by Tom Jones. The murder ballad was released at the end of 1967 and peaked at #15 on the Hot 100 in June of 1968.

Sources: