Thorne
A masculine name derived from the Old English word "thorn", meaning a thorny shrub or plant.
Name Census estimates that about 427 living Americans carry the first name Thorne. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thorne today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thorne births was 2001 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thorne. 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
427
~ 1 in 802,703 Americans
Peak year
2001
21 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,879
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Thorne: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thorne from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 119 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Thorne remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thorne 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 Thorne 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 Thorne
The name Thorne has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain. It is derived from the Old English word "þorn," which means "thorn" or "prickly bush." This name was likely given to individuals who lived near a thorny thicket or bush.
The earliest recorded use of the name Thorne can be traced back to the 11th century. In the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several references to places named "Thorne" or "Thornhill," indicating the presence of people bearing this name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Thorne was Robert de Thorne, a 13th-century English cleric and chronicler. He was a monk at the Abbey of St. Albans and is best known for his chronicle, which covers the period from the reign of King Stephen to the early years of Edward I.
In the 14th century, William Thorne, an English Benedictine monk and historian, wrote a chronicle of the Abbey of St. Augustine in Canterbury. His work provides valuable insights into the historical events and daily life of the monastery during that time.
Another notable figure with the name Thorne was James Thorne, an English merchant and explorer who lived in the 16th century. He is credited with leading the first English expedition to the West African coast in 1555, paving the way for future trade and exploration in the region.
During the 17th century, Sir George Thorne, an English politician and landowner, played a significant role in the English Civil War. He served as a member of Parliament and supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.
In the field of literature, Robert Thorne was an English poet and translator who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his translations of works by Ludovico Ariosto and other Italian writers, which contributed to the popularization of Italian literature in England.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Thorne throughout history. The name's origins and its association with thorny bushes or thickets have given it a unique and enduring presence in various cultures and time periods.
People
Thorne + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thorne 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
Thorne: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thorne?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 427 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thorne 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 802,703 US residents.
Is Thorne a common name?
We classify Thorne as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 457 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thorne most popular?
The single biggest year for Thorne was 2001, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thorne is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thorne a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thorne 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.