Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2018

Thompson

Meaning son of Thomas Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,359 Trend ↓ Falling 25%

Variant of Thomson, from Tom +‎ -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas".

Rank 2025
#2,359
among boys · ↑591 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
64
named Thompson · +33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,950
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
76 babies
All-time total
2,748
#2,706 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Thompson popularity over time

2,748 babies have been named Thompson since 1882, 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 13 13 1 – #742
1890s – 39 39 4 +200% #761
1900s – 24 24 2 -38% #1,084
1910s – 168 168 17 +600% #1,111
1920s – 207 207 21 +23% #1,377
1930s – 158 158 16 -24% #1,530
1940s – 205 205 21 +30% #1,399
1950s – 197 197 20 -4% #1,372
1960s – 136 136 14 -31% #1,892
1970s – 119 119 12 -12% #2,560
1980s – 161 161 16 +35% #2,143
1990s – 240 240 24 +49% #2,394
2000s – 290 290 29 +21% #2,784
2010s 5 469 474 47 +63% #1,956
2020s (to 2025) 18 299 317 53 +11% #2,298

Where Thompson is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 57 0.03 outside top 500
2027 54 0.03 outside top 500
2028 53 0.03 outside top 500
2029 51 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Thompson

Thompson is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,359 in 2025 with 59 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 2,748 American babies have been named Thompson. Its peak came in 2018, when 76 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 Thompson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Thompson?

The median living Thompson is about 22 years old; half are between 8 and 46. An estimated 2,000 people named Thompson are alive in the United States today.

median 22 020406080100

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

Thompson 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 5 #17,051 59 #2,359
2024 5 #17,474 43 #2,950
2023 – – 34 #3,466
2022 8 #12,149 51 #2,643
2021 – – 61 #2,298
2020 – – 51 #2,542
2019 – – 61 #2,288
2018 – – 76 #1,956
2017 5 #18,218 55 #2,380
2016 – – 51 #2,512
2015 – – 56 #2,352
2014 – – 37 #3,084
2013 – – 33 #3,331
2012 – – 36 #3,168
2011 – – 26 #3,974
2010 – – 38 #3,066
2009 – – 32 #3,469
2008 – – 31 #3,555
2007 – – 37 #3,128
2006 – – 27 #3,772
2005 – – 29 #3,445
2004 – – 38 #2,784
2003 – – 31 #3,109
2002 – – 13 #5,694
2001 – – 23 #3,712
2000 – – 29 #3,068
1995 – – 19 #3,543
1990 – – 26 #2,622
1985 – – 6 #6,462
1980 – – 16 #2,948
1975 – – 13 #3,064
1970 – – 12 #2,878
1965 – – 16 #2,069
1960 – – 14 #2,305
1955 – – 17 #1,972
1950 – – 22 #1,612
1945 – – 18 #1,625
1940 – – 19 #1,620
1935 – – 9 #2,698
1930 – – 24 #1,530
1925 – – 19 #1,863
1920 – – 29 #1,377
1915 – – 26 #1,339
1910 – – 10 #1,111
1905 – – 5 #1,409
1900 – – – –
1895 – – 8 #867
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Thompson?

The median living Thompson is about 22 years old. Half of all living Thompsons are between 8 and 46 years old.

How many people named Thompson are alive today?

An estimated 2,000 people named Thompson are alive in the United States, based on 2,748 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Thompson mean?

Variant of Thomson, from Tom +‎ -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas".

How popular is the name Thompson in 2025?

Thompson ranked #2,359 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 59 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Thompson?

2,748 babies have been named Thompson in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Thompson most popular?

Thompson peaked in 2018, when 76 newborns received the name.

Is Thompson a boy or girl name?

Thompson is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Thompson rising or falling?

Thompson is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Thompson become more popular?

Thompson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Thompson in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Thompson

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

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