Tom is the short form of Thomas, from the Aramaic word for "twin", the name of the apostle who doubted the resurrection until he saw the risen Christ. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and actor Tom Hanks show how thoroughly all-American the nickname has become. As a name in its own right Tom is rare in the United States: it peaked at number 1077 in 2002 and ranks 2206 in 2025 with 65 births, while Thomas stays in the top 50.