English

Noun

Thomas ‎(plural Thomases)

1. (derogatory, Christianity) An infidel (in reference to the doubting Apostle).

Derived terms

• doubting Thomas

Proper noun

Thomas ‎(plural Thomases)

1. An Apostle, best remembered for doubting the resurrection of Jesus.
   • 1611, Bible (KJV), John 20:24-25:

     But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

2. A male given name of biblical origin, popular since the 13th century.
   • 1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, chapter VI

     "Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."

     "That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"

   • 1941 Judith Kelly, Marriage is a Private Affair, Harper 1944, page 133:

     - - - goodness we scarcely have a name for the baby yet now all of you must take a vote, all of you, but let's have a nice simple name like Thomas don't you think I hate elaborate names, do please all of you vote for Thomas..."

3. A common patronymic surname​.
   • 2006, Chris Wrigley, A.J.P. Taylor: Radical Historian of Europe, London – New York: I.B. Tauris, ISBN 1860642861, page 182:

     The reappearance of Dylan and Caitlin Thomas brought her the excitement again of literary gatherings and much uninhibited partying.²²³ For a woman of 41 the Thomases represented fun and an opportunity not to play second fiddle to a disapproving husband who was very clear as to what he wanted but not sensitive to her social needs.

4. A city in Oklahoma
5. A city in West Virginia

Derived terms

• Tom, Tommy (pet forms)
• Thos. (abbreviation)

Related terms

• (female given names): Tamsin, Thomasina

Translations

Danish

Alternative forms

• Tomas

Proper noun

Thomas

1. Thomas (biblical figure)
2. A male given name of biblical origin.

Related terms

• (male given names) Tom, Tommy
• (female given names) Thomine
• (surnames) Thomasen, Thomassen, Thomsen

References

• Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 52 343 males with the given name Thomas have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Dutch

Alternative forms

• Tomas

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Thomas ?

1. A male given name of biblical origin.
2. A patronymic surname​.

Related terms

• Tom, Tomas
• (surnames) Thomasse, Thomassen

French

Proper noun

Thomas m

1. Thomas (biblical figure)
2. A male given name of biblical origin.
   • 1862 Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, Vol.1, Book 4:1, translation 1887 by Isabel F. Hapgood:

     Il n’est pas rare aujourd’hui que le garçon bouvier se nomme Arthur, Alfred ou Alphonse, et que le vicomte — s’il y a encore des vicomtes — se nomme Thomas, Pierre ou Jacques. Ce déplacement qui met le nom « élégant » sur le plébéien et le nom campagnard sur l’aristocrate n’est autre chose qu’un remous d’égalité. L’irrésistible pénétration du souffle nouveau est là comme en tout.

     It is not rare for the neatherd's boy nowadays to bear the name of Arthur, Alfred, or Alphonse, and for the vicomte--if there are still any vicomtes--to be called Thomas, Pierre, or Jacques. This displacement, which places the "elegant" name on the plebeian and the rustic name on the aristocrat, is nothing else than an eddy of equality. The irresistible penetration of the new inspiration is there as everywhere else.

3. A common patronymic surname​.

German

Proper noun

Thomas m ‎(genitive Thomas')

1. Thomas (biblical figure)
2. A male given name of biblical origin.
3. A patronymic surname​.

Related terms

• Tom

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς ‎(Thōmâs), the Biblical Greek transcription of Aramaic תאומא or תאמא ‎(“twin”), the nickname of one of the Twelve Apostles.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈtʰoː.maːs/
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈto.mas/, [ˈtoː.mas]

Proper noun

Thōmās

1. (Christianity) Thomas the Apostle.
2. A male given name of Biblical origin.

Declension

First declension, masculine Greek type with nominative singular in -ās.

Norman

Proper noun

Thomas m

1. Alternative form of Thonmas.

Norwegian

Alternative forms

• Tomas

Etymology

From Vulgate Latin Thomas, from Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς ‎(Thōmâs), from Aramaic ܬܐܘܡܐ or תאומא ‎(“Thomas”), from ܬܐܡܐ or תאמא ‎(“twin”). Recorded as a given name in Norway since the 13th century.

Proper noun

Thomas

1. A male given name.

Usage notes

• The most common given name of men born in Norway in the 1980s.

References

• Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, ISBN 82-521-4483-7
• Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 23 499 males with the given name Thomas ( compared to 2 408 named Tomas) living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 1980s. Accessed on April 29th, 2011.

Swedish

Proper noun

Thomas

1. A male given name, a popular spelling variant of Tomas.

References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, ISBN 91-21-10937-0
• Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, ISBN 9119551622: 59 976 males with the given name Thomas (compared to 33 505 named Tomas) living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1960s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.