Thienlong
A Vietnamese name meaning "heavenly dragon".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Thienlong. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thienlong today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thienlong births was 2012 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thienlong. 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 Thienlong. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2012
6 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,135
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Thienlong: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Thienlong 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 Thienlong during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Thienlong
The name Thienlong is of Vietnamese origin and dates back several centuries. It is a combination of two words - "Thien" meaning heaven or sky, and "long" meaning dragon. The name can be interpreted as "heavenly dragon" or "dragon of the sky".
In ancient Vietnamese folklore, dragons were revered as powerful and auspicious creatures. They were often associated with water, rain, and fertility, and were believed to control the forces of nature. The name Thienlong likely originated as a way to honor these mythical creatures and to invoke their blessings and protection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thienlong can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical text that chronicles the events of the Vietnamese kingdom from the 11th to the 18th century. The text mentions a general named Thienlong who fought bravely against the Mongol invasions in the 13th century.
Another notable figure with the name Thienlong was a Buddhist monk who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his wisdom and his skill in calligraphy, and is said to have authored several important religious texts.
In the 18th century, there was a famous Vietnamese poet and scholar named Thienlong Nguyen. His works explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition, and he is considered one of the most influential writers of his time.
During the 19th century, a Vietnamese naval commander named Thienlong Tran played a key role in defending the country against French colonial forces. He is remembered as a hero for his bravery and strategic brilliance.
In more recent times, a Vietnamese artist named Thienlong Pham gained international recognition for his intricate lacquer paintings, which combined traditional Vietnamese techniques with modern themes and styles. He lived from 1920 to 2005 and his works are displayed in museums around the world.
People
Thienlong + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thienlong 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
Thienlong: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thienlong?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thienlong 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Thienlong a common name?
We classify Thienlong as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thienlong most popular?
The single biggest year for Thienlong was 2012, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thienlong is about 14 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 Thienlong in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thienlong a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thienlong 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 Thienlong still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thienlong 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 Thienlong 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 Thienlong?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.