Thaleia
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "flourishing" or "blooming".
Name Census estimates that about 80 living Americans carry the first name Thaleia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Thaleia today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thaleia births was 2015 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thaleia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Thaleia with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Thaleia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
80
~ 1 in 4,284,429 Americans
Peak year
2015
10 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,301
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Thaleia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thaleia from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 38 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thaleia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Thaleia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Thaleia
The name Thaleia has its origins in Ancient Greek language and culture. It is derived from the Greek word "thaleia," which means "blooming" or "flourishing." The name is associated with the Greek muse Thalia, the goddess of comedy and idyllic poetry.
Thaleia was a relatively common name among ancient Greeks, particularly in the classical period between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. It was often given to girls as a way to invoke the blessings of the muse Thalia, who was believed to bring joy and laughter.
The earliest recorded use of the name Thaleia can be found in ancient Greek literature, including the works of Hesiod and Pindar. In Hesiod's "Theogony," Thaleia is mentioned as one of the nine muses who presided over various arts and sciences.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Thaleia was a Greek poet and musician who lived in the 6th century BC. Unfortunately, little is known about her life and works, as they have been lost to time.
During the Hellenistic period, which began in the 4th century BC, the name Thaleia gained popularity among Greeks living in the Mediterranean region. One notable figure from this era was Thaleia of Crete, a philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 3rd century BC. She was known for her contributions to the field of geometry.
In the 1st century AD, Thaleia was the name of a Roman noblewoman who was the wife of the Roman senator and historian Velleius Paterculus. She is mentioned in his historical work, "Compendium of Roman History."
Another famous bearer of the name Thaleia was a Byzantine princess who lived in the 10th century AD. Thaleia Argyropoulina was the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Romanos I Lekapenos and played a significant role in the political intrigues of the Byzantine court.
During the Renaissance period, the name Thaleia was revived among humanist scholars who were fascinated by ancient Greek culture. One notable figure was Thaleia Caligari, an Italian poet and philosopher who lived in the 15th century. She was celebrated for her writings on the role of women in society.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Thaleia throughout the centuries. While the name has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and culture, it has transcended its origins and become a part of the broader cultural heritage of the Western world.
People
Thaleia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thaleia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Thaleia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thaleia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 80 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thaleia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,284,429 US residents.
Is Thaleia a common name?
We classify Thaleia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 61.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 81 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thaleia most popular?
The single biggest year for Thaleia was 2015, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thaleia is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Thaleia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thaleia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thaleia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Thaleia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thaleia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Thaleia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Thaleia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.