Total births
467
Boys' name · since 1960
Thelonious
467 babies named Thelonious in U.S. Social Security records since 1960, with the highest year being 2017. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5721
- among boys today
- 467
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Thelonious is the #5721 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 467 recorded since 1960.
Thelonious has 467 recorded births among boys since 1960, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5721 as of the latest data, more common than 60% 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 1960 to 2025.
- #5721 among boys today
- 467 born since 1960
- 2010s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thelonious is currently the #5721 boys' name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 467 born since 1960, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5721
- among boys today
- 467
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Thelonious vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5721
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Thelonious was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
23 babies were named Thelonious in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Thelonious compares
467 Top 45% higher than 55% 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
Thelonious's all-time total is 27% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thelonious | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 467 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 23 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thelonious's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Thelonious splits its recorded history at 2005: 67% of all births land in the more recent half, 33% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1960 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2017 peak of 23 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Thelonious at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#5,721
Active since
1960
Thelonious popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 23
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Thelonious by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Thelonious's strongest decade.
170 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Thelonious births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 37
1960s
37 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 14
1980s
14 births
- 1990s 36
1990s
36 births
- 2000s
2000s
90 births
- 2010s
2010s
170 births
- 2020s
2020s
96 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 170 births (36% of all-time use).
Thelonious by state
Where Thelonious concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 27 | 5.8% |
California share of Thelonious's total US births 5.8%
27 of 467 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thelonious? ▼
Since 1960, Social Security records show 467 babies named Thelonious. Today it holds rank #5721 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2017, with 23 births.
When was Thelonious most popular? ▼
Thelonious was most popular in the 2010s decade with 170 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Thelonious most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thelonious are California (27 births).
How long has the name Thelonious been used? ▼
Thelonious has been recorded in Social Security data since 1960, spanning 66 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Thelonious? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theodore, Theo, Theron, Theadore, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thelonious's data
- Thelonious's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (170 total births) through the 2020s (96) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Theloniouss (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Thelonious
Nearby Names Like Thelonious
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thelonious
Theodore Boy
#4 317,206 births
Theo Boy
#80 35,830 births
Theron Boy
#2837 12,960 births
Theadore Boy
#9912 4,005 births
Theophilus Boy
#2213 2,448 births
Compare Thelonious side by side: Thelonious vs Theodore Thelonious vs Theo Thelonious vs Theron
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thelonious
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, 1960–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thelonious: #5721 Boys' Name - 467 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thelonious. 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 Thelonious 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.