Total births
1,358
Unisex name · since 1912
Thayer
1,358 babies named Thayer in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 2014. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4443
- among boys today
- 1,358
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
1,358 babies have been named Thayer since 1912, making it today's #4443 unisex name.
Thayer has 1,358 recorded births among boys since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4443 as of the latest data, more common than 69% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #4443 among boys today
- 1,358 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
- 69% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thayer is currently the #4443 unisex name in America, more common than 69% of boys - 1,358 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4443
- among boys today
- 1,358
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
Thayer vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4443
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 69% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Thayer was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
52 babies were named Thayer in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Thayer compares
1,358 Top 26% higher than 74% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Thayer's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thayer | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,358 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 52 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thayer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Thayer's full recorded timeline at 1973, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1914, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2014 peak of 52 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Thayer at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2014
Current rank
#4,443
Active since
1912
Thayer popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 52
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Thayer popularity over time - girls
79 total births recorded since 1936 (Thayer as girls' name)
Thayer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Thayer's strongest decade.
404 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Thayer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 74
1910s
74 births
- 1920s 79
1920s
79 births
- 1930s 58
1930s
58 births
- 1940s 61
1940s
61 births
- 1950s 48
1950s
48 births
- 1960s 84
1960s
84 births
- 1970s 72
1970s
72 births
- 1980s 91
1980s
91 births
- 1990s 131
1990s
131 births
- 2000s 135
2000s
135 births
- 2010s
2010s
404 births
- 2020s 121
2020s
121 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 404 births (30% of all-time use).
How Thayer compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Thayer's total volume
Thayer vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Thayer by state
Where Thayer concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Arkansas | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Washington | | 5 | 0.4% |
Arkansas share of Thayer's total US births 0.4%
Even split
5 of 1,358 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thayer? ▼
Thayer has been given to 1,358 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4443 as of the latest data. 52 babies were born in 2014, its single highest year.
When was Thayer most popular? ▼
Thayer was most popular in the 2010s decade with 404 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Thayer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thayer are Arkansas (5 births), Kentucky (5 births), Oklahoma (5 births).
Is Thayer a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Thayer is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,358 births, and as a girl's name it has 79 births.
How long has the name Thayer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Thayer since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Thayer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thaddeus, Thad, Thatcher, Thane, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thayer's data
- Thayer's decade-level peak was the 2010s (404 total births); usage has since declined to 121 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Arkansas records the most Thayers (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Arkansas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Thayer
Nearby Names Like Thayer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thayer
Thaddeus Boy
#852 26,057 births
Thad Boy
#12364 8,219 births
Thatcher Boy
#1040 4,955 births
Thane Boy
#2967 2,604 births
Thayne Boy
#6507 1,450 births
Compare Thayer side by side: Thayer vs Thaddeus Thayer vs Thad Thayer vs Thatcher
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thayer
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thayer: #4443 Unisex Name - 1,358 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thayer. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Thayer 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 June 2026.