Tommy Atkins

proper noun

Generic term for any British soldier.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. Generic term for any British soldier.

    O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away"; But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play

    1892, Rudyard Kipling, Tommy
    1 more example

    A voice I don't want to listen to tells me that this is England's last land triumph; that our military history ends here[…]. Tommy Atkins will serve with pluck and valor wherever he fights hereafter, as always; but the conduct of the war is passing out of our hands.

    1978, Herman Wouk, War and Remembrance, Back Bay Books, published 2002, page 507

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
soldiertommytommy boy

Origin

Said to be a fictitious name inserted in document templates given to soldiers to guide them in filling out account blanks, etc. Found in the publication Soldier's Account Book (1815) and later in King's Regulations (1837). Compare also John Doe and Richard Roe.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish Nönnönnöö, Senjanen
  • NönnönnööGeneric name for a soldier
  • SenjanenGeneric name for a soldier
Polish szeregowy
  • szeregowyGeneric name for a soldier
Cite this entry
APA

Tommy Atkins. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tommy%20Atkins

MLA

“Tommy Atkins.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tommy%20Atkins. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tommy Atkins,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tommy%20Atkins.

Source: Tommy Atkins on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.