Thunder
A powerful and resonant name evocative of natural forces and strength.
Name Census estimates that about 534 living Americans carry the first name Thunder. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thunder today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thunder births was 2018 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thunder. 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
534
~ 1 in 641,862 Americans
Peak year
2018
30 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,185
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Thunder: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thunder from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 162 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Thunder remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thunder 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 Thunder during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Thunders live
Origin
Meaning and history of Thunder
The name Thunder is a modern English name with origins that are somewhat obscure, but it is likely derived from the natural phenomenon of thunder, which refers to the loud sound that accompanies lightning during a thunderstorm. The word "thunder" comes from the Old English word "þunor," which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic "*þunraz."
While the name Thunder does not have a long historical lineage, it may have been inspired by ancient mythologies and cultures that revered or personified natural forces such as thunder and lightning. For example, in Norse mythology, the god Thor was associated with thunder and lightning, and his name may be related to the Old Norse word "þórr," which means "thunder."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thunder being used as a first name was in the United States in the late 19th century. One notable individual with the name Thunder was Thunder Hawk, a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement, who was born in 1948 and played a significant role in the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973.
Another historical figure with the name Thunder was Thunder Levin, a Swedish musician and songwriter who was born in 1964 and is best known for his work with the band Thunder Express.
In literature, the name Thunder has been used in various works, including the novel "Thunder Boy Jr." by Sherman Alexie, which features a character named Thunder Boy Jr. who is struggling to embrace his Native American heritage and identity.
Other notable individuals with the name Thunder include Thunder Tsutsumi, a Japanese professional wrestler who was active in the 1990s, and Thunder Ritchie, a British singer-songwriter born in 1988.
While the name Thunder is not among the most common first names, its unique and evocative nature has likely contributed to its use throughout history, often reflecting a connection to nature, mythology, or a celebration of natural phenomena.
People
Thunder + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thunder 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
Thunder: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thunder?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 534 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thunder 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 641,862 US residents.
Is Thunder a common name?
We classify Thunder as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 542 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thunder most popular?
The single biggest year for Thunder was 2018, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thunder is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thunder a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thunder 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.