Boys' name · since 1975
Thunder
Thunder has 562 recorded births since 1975 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2018 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,364 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,277 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 562
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Thunder is the #5277 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 562 recorded since 1975.
Thunder has 562 recorded births among boys since 1975, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5277 as of the latest data, more common than 62% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1975 to 2025.
- #7,364 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,277 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 562 born since 1975
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thunder ranks #7,364 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,277 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 562 born since 1975, peaking in the 2010s.
- #7,364 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,277 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 562
- born since 1975
- 2010s
- peak decade
Thunder's 562 recorded births place it above 83.8% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Thunder compares
562 Top 42% higher than 58% of 13,930 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
Thunder's all-time total is 52% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thunder | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 562 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 30 | 34 | 22,252 |
Thunder's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Thunder's full recorded timeline at 2006, 58% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 42% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1975, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2018 peak of 30 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Thunder popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1975–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 30
- Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
Thunder by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (163 births, 29% of the file).
2010s was Thunder's strongest decade.
163 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Thunder births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 14
1970s
14 births
- 1980s 16
1980s
16 births
- 1990s
1990s
118 births
- 2000s
2000s
133 births
- 2010s
2010s
163 births
- 2020s
2020s
118 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 163 births (29% of all-time use).
How Thunder 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 Thunder's total volume
Thunder by state
Where Thunder concentrates geographically, total births since 1975
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 1.8% |
10 of 562 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thunder? ▼
Where does Thunder sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Thunder most popular? ▼
Where is Thunder most popular? ▼
How long has the name Thunder been used? ▼
What names are similar to Thunder? ▼
What to do with Thunder's data
- Thunder's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (163 total births) through the 2020s (118) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Thunders (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Thunder
Nearby Names Like Thunder
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thunder
Compare Thunder side by side: Thunder vs Thurman Thunder vs Thurston Thunder vs Thurmon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thunder
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Thunder: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2018)
Similar record span (~50 yrs)
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, 1975–2025 (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 Thunder 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.