Tharel
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from a surname.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Tharel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tharel today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tharel births was 1919 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tharel. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tharel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1919
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1919 SSA rank
#4,741
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Tharel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tharel 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 Tharel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tharel
The name Tharel is derived from the ancient Sumerian language, spoken in the region of Mesopotamia around 3500 BC. It is believed to be a combination of the words "thar," meaning "to shine," and "el," which was a common suffix used to denote divinity or greatness. This suggests that the name Tharel may have originally been associated with deities or figures of importance in Sumerian mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tharel can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem dating back to around 2100 BC. In this legendary tale, Tharel is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a priest or advisor to the king. While not a central figure, the inclusion of the name in such an influential work speaks to its antiquity and cultural significance.
Throughout the centuries, the name Tharel has been borne by various individuals, though its usage has been relatively rare. One notable figure was Tharel of Antioch, a Greek philosopher and scholar who lived in the 3rd century AD. He is known for his writings on ethics and his influence on early Christian philosophy.
In the 9th century AD, Tharel ibn al-Husayn was a prominent Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of algebra and the study of celestial movements. His works were widely circulated and studied across the Islamic world during the Golden Age of Islam.
Another historical figure bearing the name Tharel was a 12th century Crusader knight from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Tharel de Montfort was a member of the prestigious Montfort family and participated in several battles against the Ayyubid dynasty during the Crusades.
Fast-forwarding to the 16th century, Tharel van Zanden was a Dutch merchant and explorer who is credited with establishing one of the first European settlements in present-day Indonesia. His travels and trade efforts helped pave the way for the Dutch East India Company's expansion into the region.
While relatively uncommon, the name Tharel has persisted through the ages, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance that spans multiple civilizations and eras. Its ancient Sumerian roots and occasional appearances in notable historical figures have contributed to the enduring legacy of this unique name.
People
Tharel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tharel 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
Tharel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tharel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tharel 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 - US residents.
Is Tharel a common name?
We classify Tharel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tharel most popular?
The single biggest year for Tharel was 1919, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tharel is about 0 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 Tharel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tharel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tharel in the SSA data are male. 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 Tharel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tharel 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 Tharel 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 people are named Tharel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.