Girls' name · since 1981
Thandiwe
100 babies named Thandiwe in U.S. Social Security records since 1981, with the highest year being 2006. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #27,164 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 100
- born since 1981
- 2000s
- peak decade
Thandiwe is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 100 have been recorded since 1981.
Social Security Administration records show Thandiwe recorded 100 times among girls since 1981, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 2014.
- #27,164 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 100 born since 1981
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thandiwe ranks #27,164 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 100 born since 1981, peaking in the 2000s.
- #27,164 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 100
- born since 1981
- 2000s
- peak decade
Thandiwe's 100 recorded births place it above 62.42% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Thandiwe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Thandiwe's SSA record in two at 2002 and the more recent half accounts for 58% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 42%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1981, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2006 peak of 12, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Thandiwe popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2014
- Peak year (2006)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 34 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2014.
100 total births across 34 years of SSA records. Peaked in 2006 with 12 births in a single year.
Thandiwe by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (66 births, 66% of the file).
2000s was Thandiwe's strongest decade.
66 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 66% of all-time use.
Thandiwe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s
2000s
66 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 66 births (66% of all-time use).
Thandiwe decade highlights
- Peak decade 66 births
- Runner-up 23 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thandiwe? ▼
Where does Thandiwe sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Thandiwe most popular? ▼
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What to do with Thandiwe's data
- Thandiwe's decade-level peak was the 2000s (66 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Thandiwe
Nearby Names Like Thandiwe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thandiwe
Compare Thandiwe side by side: Thandiwe vs Thalia Thandiwe vs Thais Thandiwe vs Thania
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Thandiwe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2006)
Similar record span (~33 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1981–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Thandiwe draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
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