Thong
A Thai word meaning a strip of cloth or string.
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the first name Thong. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thong today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thong births was 1993 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thong. 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.
People living today
294
~ 1 in 1,165,831 Americans
Peak year
1993
19 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2006 SSA rank
#9,489
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Thong: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thong from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 133 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thong 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 Thong during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Thongs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Thong
The name Thong has its origins in the Thai language, where it is derived from the word "thong," which translates to "golden." It is believed to have emerged as a given name during the Ayutthaya Kingdom period, which spanned from the 14th to the 18th centuries in what is now modern-day Thailand.
In Thai culture, the name Thong was often associated with prosperity, wealth, and nobility. It was a popular choice among the royal families and upper-class members of society, who sought to bestow upon their children names that conveyed auspicious meanings.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Thong can be found in the Annals of Ayutthaya, a historical chronicle that documented the reign of various Thai kings. This text mentions several prominent individuals bearing the name Thong, including Thong Duang, a revered military leader and advisor to King Narai in the 17th century.
Over the centuries, the name Thong has been carried by notable figures throughout Thailand's history. One such individual was Thong Lok, a celebrated poet and scholar who lived during the late 18th century and contributed significantly to the preservation and advancement of Thai literature.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Thong In, a renowned artist and architect who lived in the early 19th century. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several iconic Buddhist temples and palaces, including the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
In the realm of religion, Thong Bhuddhasiri was a highly respected Buddhist monk who lived in the late 19th century. He was renowned for his teachings on mindfulness and meditation, and his writings continue to influence Thai Buddhist practices to this day.
Moving into the 20th century, Thong Khon was a distinguished Thai diplomat and statesman who served as the country's ambassador to various nations, including the United States and France, during the mid-1900s.
While the name Thong has deep roots in Thai culture and history, it has also been adopted by individuals of other ethnicities and nationalities, particularly in Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia. However, the specific meanings and cultural significance may vary across these different regions and contexts.
People
Thong + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thong 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
Thong: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thong?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 294 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thong 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 1,165,831 US residents.
Is Thong a common name?
We classify Thong as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 305 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thong most popular?
The single biggest year for Thong was 1993, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thong is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thong a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thong 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.
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.