Total births
3,132
Boys' name · since 1880
Thornton
3,132 babies named Thornton in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10943
- among boys today
- 3,132
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Thornton currently ranks #10943 among boys' names in America, with 3,132 babies recorded since 1880.
Thornton has 3,132 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #10943 as of the latest data, more common than 23% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #10943 among boys today
- 3,132 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thornton is currently the #10943 boys' name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 3,132 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #10943
- among boys today
- 3,132
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Thornton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10943
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Thornton was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
75 babies were named Thornton in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Thornton compares
3,132 Top 16% higher than 84% 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
Thornton's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thornton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,132 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 75 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thornton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Thornton's SSA record in two at 1951 and the more recent half accounts for 34% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 66%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 75, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Thornton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#10,943
Active since
1880
Thornton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 75
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Thornton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Thornton's strongest decade.
551 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Thornton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 127
1880s
127 births
- 1890s 92
1890s
92 births
- 1900s 105
1900s
105 births
- 1910s
1910s
438 births
- 1920s
1920s
551 births
- 1930s
1930s
352 births
- 1940s
1940s
370 births
- 1950s
1950s
309 births
- 1960s 207
1960s
207 births
- 1970s 136
1970s
136 births
- 1980s 101
1980s
101 births
- 1990s 133
1990s
133 births
- 2000s 87
2000s
87 births
- 2010s 89
2010s
89 births
- 2020s 35
2020s
35 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 551 births (18% of all-time use).
How Thornton 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 Thornton's total volume
Thornton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Thornton by state
Where Thornton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 124 | 4.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 45 | 1.4% |
| #3 | New York | | 27 | 0.9% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 25 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 20 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 20 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Maryland | | 16 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 11 | 0.4% |
Virginia share of Thornton's total US births 4.0%
Even split
124 of 3,132 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 16 reporting states.
Thornton appears in 16 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thornton? ▼
Thornton has been given to 3,132 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #10943 as of the latest data. 75 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Thornton most popular? ▼
Thornton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 551 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Thornton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thornton are Virginia (124 births), Texas (45 births), New York (27 births).
How long has the name Thornton been used? ▼
Records for Thornton go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Thornton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thomas, Thor, Thompson, Thorin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thornton's data
- Thornton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (551 total births); usage has since declined to 35 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Thorntons (124 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia 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 Thornton
Nearby Names Like Thornton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thornton
Thomas Boy
#39 2,358,576 births
Thor Boy
#2792 4,857 births
Thompson Boy
#2921 2,725 births
Thorin Boy
#1362 2,301 births
Thom Boy
844 births
Compare Thornton side by side: Thornton vs Thomas Thornton vs Thor Thornton vs Thompson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thornton
Phil #10942
20,036 births · Peak 1959
Alois #10944
2,525 births · Peak 1918
Alvie #10941
4,094 births · Peak 1921
Hermann #10945
731 births · Peak 1916
Willam #10940
3,516 births · Peak 1959
Octave #10946
450 births · Peak 1918
Merrill #10939
12,988 births · Peak 1926
Florence #10947
1,454 births · Peak 1925
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. "Thornton: #10943 Boys' Name - 3,132 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thornton. 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 Thornton 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.