Total births
12,960
Boys' name · since 1880
Theron
Theron has 12,960 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1966 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2837
- among boys today
- 12,960
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
12,960 babies have been named Theron since 1880, making it today's #2837 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Theron has been recorded 12,960 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2837 nationally and more common than 80% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2837 among boys today
- 12,960 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Theron is currently the #2837 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 12,960 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2837
- among boys today
- 12,960
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Theron vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2837
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
11% of everyone ever named Theron was born in this single decade.
1966
Single peak year
180 babies were named Theron in 1966 - its busiest year on record.
How Theron compares
12,960 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Theron's all-time total is 35x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Theron | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,960 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 180 | 23 | 22,252 |
Theron's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Theron splits its recorded history at 1954: 61% of all births land in the more recent half, 39% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1890 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1966 peak of 180 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Theron at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1966
Current rank
#2,837
Active since
1880
Theron popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1966)
- 180
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Theron popularity over time - girls
40 total births recorded since 1925 (Theron as girls' name)
Theron by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Theron's strongest decade.
1,483 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.
Theron births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 63
1880s
63 births
- 1890s 101
1890s
101 births
- 1900s 167
1900s
167 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,032 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,255 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,015 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,070 births
- 1950s
1950s
922 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,483 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,480 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,083 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,030 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,061 births
- 2010s
2010s
883 births
- 2020s 315
2020s
315 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,483 births (11% of all-time use).
How Theron 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 Theron's total volume
Theron vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Theron by state
Where Theron concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 766 | 5.9% |
| #2 | California | | 704 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 699 | 5.4% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 436 | 3.4% |
| #5 | New York | | 409 | 3.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 397 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 378 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 365 | 2.8% |
Georgia share of Theron's total US births 5.9%
Even split
766 of 12,960 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Theron appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Theron? ▼
Theron has been given to 12,960 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2837 as of the latest data. 180 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
When was Theron most popular? ▼
Theron was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,483 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
Where is Theron most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Theron are Georgia (766 births), California (704 births), Texas (699 births).
How long has the name Theron been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Theron since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Theron? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theodore, Theo, Theadore, Theophilus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Theron's data
- Theron's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,483 total births); usage has since declined to 315 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Therons (766 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Theron
Nearby Names Like Theron
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Theron
Theodore Boy
#4 317,206 births
Theo Boy
#80 35,830 births
Theadore Boy
#9912 4,005 births
Theophilus Boy
#2213 2,448 births
Theodis Boy
2,244 births
Compare Theron side by side: Theron vs Theodore Theron vs Theo Theron vs Theadore
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Theron
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Theron: #2837 Boys' Name - 12,960 Births, Peak 1966." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/theron. 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 Theron 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.