Boy · #12,301 in 2026

Thorn

Name: Popularity of the name Thorn in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Thorn, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#12,301

Peak Rank

#3,203 (1988)

Total Babies

302

5-Yr Trend

-21%

1958

First Year

2024

Last Year

1988

Peak Year

#3203

Peak Rank

302

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Thorn

The earliest SSA record of Thorn as a baby boy name dates back to 1958, when 5 babies received it. 1988 was its biggest year on record, with 16 newborns named Thorn — #3,203 in the national rankings. About 32% of every Thorn on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Thorn last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 302 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Thorn

Phonetically similar names — useful when Thorn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Thorne
Tharm
Thorns
Thorough
Thor
Thorny
Thorin
Thoro
Thora
Thorned
Thore
Thoren

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Thorn

What does the name Thorn mean?

Thorn is a boy's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1958. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Thorn in 2026?

In 2026, Thorn ranks #12,301 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Thorn most popular?

Thorn reached its peak popularity in 1988, ranking #3,203 that year with 16 babies given the name.

Is Thorn a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Thorn is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Thorn?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Thorn include Toris, Demetria, Traver. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Thorn

Thorn is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1958 and has accumulated 302 births in the dataset. Thorn's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #3,203. Use the chart and map above to compare Thorn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.