Total births
35
Girls' name · since 1971
Thembi
35 babies named Thembi in U.S. Social Security records since 1971, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 35
- total births
- 1971–1979
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 100%
- born in that decade
Thembi is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 35 have been recorded since 1971.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thembi has been recorded 35 times among girls since 1971, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 1979.
- 35 total births
- 1971–1979 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 100% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
35 girls have been named Thembi since 1971, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 1979.
- 35
- total births
- 1971–1979
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 100%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
100% of everyone ever named Thembi was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
10 babies were named Thembi in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
Thembi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Thembi's SSA record in two at 1973 and the more recent half accounts for 51% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 49%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1979, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1971 peak of 10, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Thembi at a glance
Last recorded 1979Peak year
1971
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1971
Thembi popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–1979
- Peak year (1971)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 9 years of records
Thembi by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Thembi's strongest decade.
35 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 100% of all-time use.
Thembi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
35 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 35 births (100% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thembi? ▼
Thembi has been given to 35 babies in the U.S. since 1971, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1979. 10 babies were born in 1971, its single highest year.
When was Thembi most popular? ▼
Thembi was most popular in the 1970s decade with 35 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
How long has the name Thembi been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Thembi since 1971 -- 9 years through the most recent 1979 data.
What names are similar to Thembi? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theresa, Thelma, Therese, Thea, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
Keep exploring Thembi
Nearby Names Like Thembi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thembi
Theresa Girl
#1492 404,613 births
Thelma Girl
#4299 225,460 births
Therese Girl
#2180 35,590 births
Thea Girl
#349 20,113 births
Theodora Girl
#811 12,654 births
Compare Thembi side by side: Thembi vs Theresa Thembi vs Thelma Thembi vs Therese
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1971–1979 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thembi: Baby Name Since 1971 - 35 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thembi. 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 Thembi 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 July 2026.