Thelman
A masculine name derived from the Germanic elements "theld" (strength) and "mann" (man).
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Thelman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thelman today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thelman births was 1922 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thelman. 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 Thelman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#3,832
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Thelman: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Thelman 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 Thelman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Geography
Where Thelmans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Thelman
The given name Thelman has its origins rooted in the Germanic languages, tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is a combination of two Old Germanic words: "thelm" meaning "firm" or "resolute" and "mann" meaning "man." Consequently, the name Thelman can be interpreted as "resolute man" or "firm man."
During the medieval period, the name Thelman was prevalent across various Germanic regions, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Belgium. Its earliest recorded use dates back to the 11th century, appearing in various monastic records and local chronicles.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Thelman can be found in the Annals of Quedlinburg, a medieval chronicle written by the Benedictine monks of the Quedlinburg Abbey in Saxony, Germany. The chronicle mentions a nobleman named Thelman von Arnstein, who lived in the late 11th century and was a prominent figure in the region.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Thelman was Thelman von Kalkar, a German scholar and theologian from the city of Kalkar, located in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Von Kalkar was a prominent intellectual of his time and made significant contributions to the field of scholastic philosophy.
Another historical figure named Thelman was Thelman von Buren, a Dutch military commander who lived during the 16th century. Von Buren played a crucial role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, serving under William the Silent, the principal leader of the Dutch struggle for independence.
In the realm of literature, the name Thelman appears in the epic poem "Nibelungenlied," an anonymous Middle High German heroic epic composed around 1200 AD. One of the minor characters in the poem bears the name Thelman, though his role is not extensively elaborated upon.
Towards the end of the medieval period, in the 15th century, a notable figure named Thelman Kemenaten emerged as a prominent merchant and banker in the city of Nuremberg, in present-day Bavaria, Germany. Kemenaten was part of the wealthy patrician class and played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs during his lifetime.
While the name Thelman has its roots in the Germanic languages and was prevalent during the Middle Ages, its usage has diminished significantly in modern times. However, it remains a part of the historical record, showcasing its significance in various contexts throughout the medieval period and beyond.
People
Thelman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thelman 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
Thelman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thelman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thelman 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 Thelman a common name?
We classify Thelman 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, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thelman most popular?
The single biggest year for Thelman was 1922, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thelman 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 Thelman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thelman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thelman 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 Thelman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thelman 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 Thelman 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 Thelman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Thelman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.