Robert
| Gender | Masculine |
| Usage | English, French, Scandinavian, German, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Romanian |
| Name Meaning | Means 'bright fame', derived from the Germanic elements hrod 'fame' and beraht 'bright'. The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been a very common English name since that time. |
| History | The name has been borne by two early kings of France, two Dukes of Normandy, and three kings of Scotland, including Robert the Bruce who restored the independence of Scotland from England in the 14th century. The author Robert Browning [1812 - 89] and poets Robert Burns [1759 - 96] and Robert Frost [1874 - 63] are famous literary bearers of this name. Other bearers include Robert E. Lee [1807 - 70], the commander of the Confederate army during the American Civil War, and American actor Robert Redford [1936].
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Thomas
| Gender | Masculine |
| Usage | English, French, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Greek, Biblical |
| Name Meaning | Greek form of the Aramaic name Te'oma which meant 'twin'. In the New Testament this was the name of the apostle who initially doubted the resurrected Jesus. According to tradition he was martyred in India. Due to his renown, the name came into general use in the Christian world. |
| History | In England the name was introduced by the Normans and became very popular due to Saint Thomas Becket, a 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and martyr. Another notable saint by this name was the 13th-century Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, who is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include philosopher Thomas Hobbes [1588 - 79], American president Thomas Jefferson [1743 - 26], novelist Thomas Hardy [1840 - 28], and inventor Thomas Edison [1847 - 31].
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