Total births
16,392
Boys' name · since 1880
Thurman
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 16,392 babies named Thurman, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12361
- among boys today
- 16,392
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
16,392 babies have been named Thurman since 1880, making it today's #12361 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Thurman has been recorded 16,392 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #12361 nationally and more common than 14% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. 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 2024.
- #12361 among boys today
- 16,392 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 14% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thurman is currently the #12361 boys' name in America, more common than 14% of boys - 16,392 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12361
- among boys today
- 16,392
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
Thurman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12361
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 14% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Thurman was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
361 babies were named Thurman in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Thurman compares
16,392 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Thurman's all-time total is 45x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thurman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,392 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 361 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thurman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Thurman splits its recorded history at 1952: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2022 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 361 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Thurman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#12,361
Active since
1880
Thurman popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1920)
- 361
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Thurman popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1928 (Thurman as girls' name)
Thurman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Thurman's strongest decade.
3,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Thurman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 173
1880s
173 births
- 1890s 167
1890s
167 births
- 1900s 295
1900s
295 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,349 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,204 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,625 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,561 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,814 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,290 births
- 1970s 754
1970s
754 births
- 1980s 488
1980s
488 births
- 1990s 361
1990s
361 births
- 2000s 172
2000s
172 births
- 2010s 101
2010s
101 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,204 births (20% of all-time use).
How Thurman 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 Thurman's total volume
Thurman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Thurman by state
Where Thurman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 2,244 | 13.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,636 | 10.0% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 982 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 908 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 812 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 807 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 726 | 4.4% |
| #8 | West Virginia | | 533 | 3.3% |
North Carolina share of Thurman's total US births 13.7%
Even split
2,244 of 16,392 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Thurman appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thurman? ▼
16,392 babies have been named Thurman since 1880. It currently ranks #12361 among boys. The peak year was 1920 with 361 births.
When was Thurman most popular? ▼
Thurman was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,204 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Thurman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thurman are North Carolina (2,244 births), Texas (1,636 births), Tennessee (982 births).
How long has the name Thurman been used? ▼
Thurman has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 145 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Thurman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thurston, Thurmon, Thurmond, Thunder, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thurman's data
- Thurman's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,204 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Thurmans (2,244 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Thurman
Nearby Names Like Thurman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thurman
Thurston Boy
#7781 3,501 births
Thurmon Boy
1,053 births
Thurmond Boy
1,002 births
Thunder Boy
#6584 562 births
Thurlow Boy
422 births
Compare Thurman side by side: Thurman vs Thurston Thurman vs Thurmon Thurman vs Thurmond
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thurman
Park #12360
1,637 births · Peak 1923
Raoul #12362
2,915 births · Peak 1928
Elizabeth #12359
5,216 births · Peak 1989
Albion #12363
724 births · Peak 1921
Orie #12358
1,727 births · Peak 1917
Thad #12364
8,219 births · Peak 1967
Olaf #12357
2,531 births · Peak 1916
Barton #12365
9,371 births · Peak 1960
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, 1880–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thurman: #12361 Boys' Name - 16,392 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thurman. 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 Thurman 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.