Thomas: Classic or boring?

Boys names have always been a struggle for me more so than girls names… But I recently met a little boy named [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] and now am obsessed with the idea of having a little [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] of my own (sometime in the future! Lol). The name has some cute family connections - it’s my fiancé’s middle name, his grandfathers middle name, my grandfathers beloved brothers name etc. Also you get the cute baby name tommy and the grown up nickname [name_m]Tom[/name_m].

But… Is it a boring choice??? It’s a name that’s always been close to the top of the lists in terms of popularity, so it can feel like a very expected and “safe” choice, perhaps even a little overused…

would love to get a few opinions??

I personally go back and forth on whether I think it’s a bit boring or not, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. It’s a really great, handsome name and a classic, so it will likely never go out of style. It is well-known and will likely have no pronunciation issues almost anywhere you go because it’s a name that also has similar international variations. It may be a “safe” choice, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. What I like to do with safe, expected choices is pair them with unexpected middle names–like [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Fox[/name_m]. I think that kind of combo makes for a fantastic name.

It’s beautifully, perfectly, classic! One of my favorites! It has a warm handsome feel

I love [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]. It’s a classic name with a lot of wonderful history, something a lot of those trendy, more eye-catching names don’t have.

It’s a safe choice for sure. You won’t get any wows but you won’t get any raised eyebrows or either. That’s the deal with classics.

However, it is also a beautiful name and I question whether any name would remain ‘exciting’ once you were actually using it to speak to your own child every day. You could pick the most outlandish name in the world and it would still be an everyday name for you. On the other hand, you can pick a name that some might deem ‘boring’ and for you it will be so special because it’s the name of your son. I think no matter what name you pick for an actual child (as opposed to fantasy naming) it will be both super normal and everyday for you AND incredibly special. Which I suppose is kind of what parenting is like overall.

Personally, I love the classics, the ‘boring’ names, the names where everyone knows a few. I don’t see it as a downside at all, I see these names as a blank slate for the child to set their own mark on. If you like the name [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], please don’t throw it aside because you want other people to think your choice is ‘exciting’. On the other hand, if you really don’t feel a spark from it (but it seems that you do from what you say) then keep looking!

I’ll be honest, I do think it’s a “safe” choice. I put it in the same category as [name_u]Michael[/name_u], [name_m]Joshua[/name_m], [name_m]Christopher[/name_m], and [name_m]Matthew[/name_m]. I call them “Uncle Names” haha. I feel like everyone has an older male relative named either [name_u]Michael[/name_u] or [name_m]Thomas[/name_m].

But I agree with chelsann22. It’s classic and well known to the point where spelling and pronunciation will never be a problem, which is a good thing. Another benefit is that it’s easily nickname-able (if you’re into that). I also agree that if you use [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] as a first name, try to spice it up a bit with a more unusual middle name rather than going with another traditional name. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Fox[/name_m] is a good suggestion.

It’s a nice name. Not going to get anyone excited, but it’s solid. Personally, and I can’t imagine I’m alone, I hate the nickname Tom (takes away all of the name’s panache), so I’d insist on the full name.

Classic!
!!!

Definitely classic. I personally do not love the nicknames for it (tho anything can be cute on a kid!), but I love [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] in full.

Agree that it’s classic. I think it’s one of the more handsome classic names! [name_m]Tommy[/name_m] is cute for a child but I’m not a fan of [name_m]Tom[/name_m] as a nickname. I wish people would stop shortening such handsome names so much!

As a person who can be quick to designate a name as ‘boring’ ([name_m]Joshua[/name_m], [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Ethan[/name_m], [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Zachary[/name_m]…), I find [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] to be an exception to the rule. [name_m]Even[/name_m] with its relative popularity it stands out amongst the crowd of classics and Biblical names that are boring.

Or maybe I just love the nicknames [name_m]Tommy[/name_m], Tem, and [name_u]Thames[/name_u].

I personally think it’s a great name. Yes, it’s been ranked very high for many years but that’s because it is an awesome name. It has history and a couple nickname options. I used to think it was overused but I honestly haven’t met a little [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] yet. Parents are getting more daring naming babies so a [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] born today may not meet another for a while. I have it on my list for other future babies too.

I don’t know whether it’s boring or not. It’s a nice name but I dread the idea of people bringing more little Thomases into the world. I personally know 25 different Thomases. It doesn’t function well as a personal identifier. I’m not snobbing this name because of popularity, just to be clear. Knowing that a name choice isn’t completely unique can be deflating for some people, but with certain names like [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] it’s more of a practical issue. If I meet a [name_m]Tom[/name_m] somewhere and don’t know their surname and middle name there’ll be no way to ever find them again. Asking someone a question such as ‘do you know [name_m]Tom[/name_m]’ is essentially meaningless. [name_m]Even[/name_m] people who live in [name_m]Tom[/name_m] deserts will know 2 or 3.

I think it’s great, i love the nn possibilities too!

I’m of the opinion that some names are well-used because… well… they’re just so awesome! [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has a lot of positive attributes, and it sounds like it has a lot of meaning to you as well. It’s old, yes, and with that comes a lot of historical and literary connections that make the name even more special. I’m a little biased, maybe, because I adore [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] :slight_smile:

Thank you so much for all your beautiful responses! Especially Jackal - yes I definently feel a spark with it! And I think that’s a great insight, names can be both “boring” and everyday but special to you ” The suggestion of a more unexpected middle name would probably be enough to fulfill my wish of somewhat “wowing” people with the name and satisfy my inner name nerd haha! As I live in Australia the shortening of [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] to [name_m]Tom[/name_m] is inevitable, even people you’ve just met shorten your name or nickname you haha (even the shortest name is not safe eg. [name_m]Dave[/name_m] becomes Davo) so even though [name_m]Tom[/name_m] doesn’t have the same appeal as [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] it in no way deters me from the name. Overall [name_m]Tim[/name_m] very excited by the feedback, the more I imagine my own little [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] the more exciting the name feels! Xx

For me [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is classic and refreshing, not boring at all.