Boys' name · since 2013

Thoreau

Thoreau has 32 recorded births since 2013 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2019 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#25,498 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 2013
2010s
peak decade

32 boys have been named Thoreau since 2013, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Social Security Administration records show Thoreau recorded 32 times among boys since 2013, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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 2013 to 2021.

  • #25,498 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 32 born since 2013
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thoreau ranks #25,498 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 32 born since 2013, peaking in the 2010s.

#25,498 of 45,481
all-time among boys
32
born since 2013
2010s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Thoreau's 32 recorded births place it above 43.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Thoreau's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Thoreau's full recorded timeline at 2018, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2013, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2019 peak of 9 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Thoreau popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2013–2021

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (2019)
9
Annual births at peak, across 9 years of records
45678910 20132015201820192021 7

Thoreau by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (25 births, 78% of the file).

2010s was Thoreau's strongest decade.

25 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 78% of all-time use.

Thoreau births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 25 births (78% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Thoreau? ▼
Since 2013, Social Security records show 32 babies named Thoreau. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #25,498 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 2019, with 9 births.
Where does Thoreau sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thoreau ranks #25,498 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Thoreau most popular? ▼
Thoreau was most popular in the 2010s decade with 25 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
How long has the name Thoreau been used? ▼
Thoreau has been recorded in Social Security data since 2013, spanning 9 years of data through 2021.
What names are similar to Thoreau? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thomas, Thor, Thornton, Thompson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Thoreau's data

  • Thoreau's decade-level peak was the 2010s (25 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Thoreau

Nearby Names Like Thoreau

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thoreau

Thomas Boy
#34 2,358,576 births
Thor Boy
#2840 4,857 births
Thornton Boy
#7683 3,132 births
Thompson Boy
#2335 2,725 births
Thorin Boy
#1376 2,301 births

Compare Thoreau side by side: Thoreau vs Thomas Thoreau vs Thor Thoreau vs Thornton

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Rexie
32 births · Peak 1913
Oliva
32 births · Peak 1924
Beamon
32 births · Peak 1919
Garr
32 births · Peak 1957
Laton
32 births · Peak 1976
Sellers
32 births · Peak 1917
Warne
32 births · Peak 1921
Kingdon
32 births · Peak 1923

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Thoreau: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 2013–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Thoreau 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 August 2026.