Total births
2,725
Boys' name · since 1882
Thompson
2,725 babies named Thompson in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2921
- among boys today
- 2,725
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Thompson is the #2921 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,725 recorded since 1882.
Social Security Administration records show Thompson recorded 2,725 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #2921 nationally today, ahead of 80% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #2921 among boys today
- 2,725 born since 1882
- 2010s peak decade
- 80% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thompson is currently the #2921 boys' name in America, more common than 80% of boys - 2,725 born since 1882, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2921
- among boys today
- 2,725
- born since 1882
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 80%
- more common than other boys
Thompson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2921
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 80% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Thompson was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
76 babies were named Thompson in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Thompson compares
2,725 Top 18% higher than 82% 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
Thompson's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thompson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,725 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 76 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thompson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Thompson's full recorded timeline at 1962, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 76 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Thompson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2018
Current rank
#2,921
Active since
1882
Thompson popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 76
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Thompson popularity over time - girls
23 total births recorded since 2017 (Thompson as girls' name)
Thompson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Thompson's strongest decade.
469 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Thompson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 13
1880s
13 births
- 1890s 39
1890s
39 births
- 1900s 24
1900s
24 births
- 1910s 168
1910s
168 births
- 1920s
1920s
207 births
- 1930s 158
1930s
158 births
- 1940s
1940s
205 births
- 1950s
1950s
197 births
- 1960s 136
1960s
136 births
- 1970s 119
1970s
119 births
- 1980s 161
1980s
161 births
- 1990s
1990s
240 births
- 2000s
2000s
290 births
- 2010s
2010s
469 births
- 2020s
2020s
299 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 469 births (17% of all-time use).
How Thompson 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 Thompson's total volume
Thompson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Thompson by state
Where Thompson concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 67 | 2.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 41 | 1.5% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 33 | 1.2% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 22 | 0.8% |
| #5 | New York | | 15 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 10 | 0.4% |
California share of Thompson's total US births 2.5%
Even split
67 of 2,725 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Thompson appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thompson? ▼
2,725 babies have been named Thompson since 1882. It currently ranks #2921 among boys. The peak year was 2018 with 76 births.
When was Thompson most popular? ▼
Thompson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 469 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Thompson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thompson are California (67 births), Texas (41 births), Georgia (33 births).
How long has the name Thompson been used? ▼
Records for Thompson go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Thompson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thomas, Thor, Thornton, Thorin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thompson's data
- Thompson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (469 total births) through the 2020s (299) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Thompsons (67 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 Thompson
Nearby Names Like Thompson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thompson
Thomas Boy
#39 2,358,576 births
Thor Boy
#2792 4,857 births
Thornton Boy
#10943 3,132 births
Thorin Boy
#1362 2,301 births
Thom Boy
844 births
Compare Thompson side by side: Thompson vs Thomas Thompson vs Thor Thompson vs Thornton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thompson
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thompson: #2921 Boys' Name - 2,725 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thompson. 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 Thompson 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.