Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2014

Thayer

Gender Unisex · 5% girls Rank 2025 #6,106

Thayer is an English surname found in Somerset, the name and given name derived from English tawyer, one who dressed skins.

Rank 2025
#6,106
among boys · ↓1,550 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
15
named Thayer · -35% vs 2024
How common
1 in 113,872
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2014
52 babies
All-time total
1,437
#4,226 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Thayer popularity over time

1,437 babies have been named Thayer since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 74 74 7 – #1,987
1920s – 79 79 8 +7% #2,443
1930s 5 58 63 6 -20% #2,631
1940s 10 61 71 7 +13% #2,524
1950s – 48 48 5 -32% #3,002
1960s 11 84 95 10 +98% #2,402
1970s 11 72 83 8 -13% #3,053
1980s 16 91 107 11 +29% #3,440
1990s – 131 131 13 +22% #3,158
2000s 13 135 148 15 +13% #4,763
2010s 13 404 417 42 +182% #2,456
2020s (to 2025) – 121 121 20 -52% #3,992

The story of Thayer

Thayer is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,106 in 2025 with 15 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 1,437 American babies have been named Thayer, about 95% boys and 5% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2014, when 52 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Thayer stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Thayer?

The median living Thayer is about 18 years old; half are between 9 and 41. An estimated 1,200 people named Thayer are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Thayer year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 15 #6,106
2024 – – 23 #4,556
2023 – – 20 #5,046
2022 – – 20 #4,997
2021 – – 27 #3,992
2020 – – 16 #5,671
2019 – – 49 #2,654
2018 7 #13,678 42 #2,886
2017 6 #15,757 46 #2,709
2016 – – 45 #2,722
2015 – – 52 #2,456
2014 – – 52 #2,458
2013 – – 44 #2,710
2012 – – 36 #3,166
2011 – – 20 #4,806
2010 – – 18 #5,227
2009 – – 15 #6,054
2008 – – 12 #7,142
2007 – – 16 #5,643
2006 – – 13 #6,421
2005 – – 16 #5,254
2004 – – 10 #7,470
2003 7 #13,738 11 #6,675
2002 – – 14 #5,369
2001 6 #15,195 12 #5,976
2000 – – 16 #4,763
1995 – – 14 #4,485
1990 – – 20 #3,158
1985 – – 6 #6,459
1980 – – 11 #3,820
1975 – – 8 #4,278
1970 – – 11 #3,053
1965 – – 12 #2,462
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – 7 #3,290
1945 – – – –
1940 – – 8 #2,844
1935 – – 7 #3,232
1930 – – 8 #3,263
1925 – – 8 #3,373
1920 – – 10 #2,941
1915 – – 8 #3,044
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Thayer, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Thayer?

The median living Thayer is about 18 years old. Half of all living Thayers are between 9 and 41 years old.

How many people named Thayer are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Thayer are alive in the United States, based on 1,437 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Thayer mean?

Thayer is an English surname found in Somerset, the name and given name derived from English tawyer, one who dressed skins.

How popular is the name Thayer in 2025?

Thayer ranked #6,106 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 15 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Thayer?

1,437 babies have been named Thayer in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Thayer most popular?

Thayer peaked in 2014, when 52 newborns received the name.

Is Thayer a boy or girl name?

Thayer is used for both: about 5% of babies named Thayer have been girls and 95% boys.

Is the name Thayer rising or falling?

Thayer is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Thayer

Names that sound and feel close to Thayer: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Thayer with similar names → More names starting with T →