Total births
3,501
Boys' name · since 1884
Thurston
3,501 babies named Thurston in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7781
- among boys today
- 3,501
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Thurston is the #7781 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,501 recorded since 1884.
Thurston has 3,501 recorded births among boys since 1884, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7781 as of the latest data, more common than 46% 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 1884 to 2025.
- #7781 among boys today
- 3,501 born since 1884
- 1920s peak decade
- 46% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thurston is currently the #7781 boys' name in America, more common than 46% of boys - 3,501 born since 1884, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7781
- among boys today
- 3,501
- born since 1884
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other boys
Thurston vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7781
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 46% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Thurston was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
73 babies were named Thurston in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Thurston compares
3,501 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
Thurston's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thurston | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,501 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 73 | 23 | 22,252 |
Thurston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Thurston's full recorded timeline at 1962, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1895, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 73 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Thurston at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#7,781
Active since
1884
Thurston popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 73
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Thurston by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Thurston's strongest decade.
542 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Thurston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7
1880s
7 births
- 1890s 14
1890s
14 births
- 1900s 65
1900s
65 births
- 1910s
1910s
428 births
- 1920s
1920s
542 births
- 1930s
1930s
358 births
- 1940s
1940s
371 births
- 1950s
1950s
338 births
- 1960s
1960s
296 births
- 1970s
1970s
274 births
- 1980s
1980s
243 births
- 1990s 164
1990s
164 births
- 2000s 173
2000s
173 births
- 2010s 172
2010s
172 births
- 2020s 56
2020s
56 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 542 births (15% of all-time use).
How Thurston 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 Thurston's total volume
Thurston vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Thurston by state
Where Thurston concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 267 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 69 | 2.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 55 | 1.6% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 40 | 1.1% |
| #5 | New York | | 36 | 1.0% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 29 | 0.8% |
| #7 | California | | 26 | 0.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 22 | 0.6% |
North Carolina share of Thurston's total US births 7.6%
Even split
267 of 3,501 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Thurston appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thurston? ▼
Since 1884, Social Security records show 3,501 babies named Thurston. Today it holds rank #7781 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 73 births.
When was Thurston most popular? ▼
Thurston was most popular in the 1920s decade with 542 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Thurston most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thurston are North Carolina (267 births), Alabama (69 births), Texas (55 births).
How long has the name Thurston been used? ▼
Records for Thurston go back to 1884, giving 142 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Thurston? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Thurman, Thurmon, Thurmond, Thunder, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Thurston's data
- Thurston's decade-level peak was the 1920s (542 total births); usage has since declined to 56 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Thurstons (267 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 Thurston
Nearby Names Like Thurston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thurston
Thurman Boy
#12361 16,392 births
Thurmon Boy
1,053 births
Thurmond Boy
1,002 births
Thunder Boy
#6584 562 births
Thurlow Boy
422 births
Compare Thurston side by side: Thurston vs Thurman Thurston vs Thurmon Thurston vs Thurmond
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thurston
Powell #7780
1,485 births · Peak 1919
Farley #7782
1,080 births · Peak 1952
Chancey #7779
1,228 births · Peak 1978
Fielding #7783
602 births · Peak 2022
Rance #7778
3,002 births · Peak 1962
Quince #7784
588 births · Peak 1964
Lorenz #7777
1,754 births · Peak 1918
Elgin #7785
3,959 births · Peak 1920
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thurston: #7781 Boys' Name - 3,501 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thurston. 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 Thurston 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.