Thayer
Thayer is an English surname found in Somerset, the name and given name derived from English tawyer, one who dressed skins.
Meaning & Origin of Thayer
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Thayer is an English surname found in Somerset, the name and given name derived from English tawyer, one who dressed skins.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Thayer
As a girl name
Thayer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1936, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 7 Thayers were born — ranking #12,408 that year. As of 2026, Thayer ranks #12,462 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 79 Thayers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Thayer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 52 Thayers were born — ranking #2,429 that year. As of 2026, Thayer ranks #4,536 for boys with 23 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 1K Thayers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Thayer most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- United States87%
- Canada4%
- PA3%
- Australia3%
- New Zealand3%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Thayer
Phonetically similar names — useful when Thayer is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- There
- Their
- Thor
- Thier
- Thar
- Theyre
- Thore
- Theor
- Thyr
- They
- Ther
- Thre
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Thayer
What does the name Thayer mean?
How popular is Thayer in 2026?
When was Thayer most popular?
In which U.S. states is Thayer most popular?
Is Thayer a unisex name?
What names go well with Thayer?
About the name Thayer
Thayer is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Thayer's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #1,905. Use the chart and map above to compare Thayer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.