Thurber
An English surname meaning "one who lived near the thicket or dense bush".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Thurber. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thurber today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thurber births was 1914 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thurber. 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 Thurber. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1914
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1914 SSA rank
#3,711
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Thurber: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Thurber 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 Thurber during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Thurber
The given name Thurber is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "þurēbere," which means "thresher" or "winnower." This occupational surname was initially bestowed upon individuals whose profession involved threshing or separating grains from their husks.
In the early medieval period, the name was often spelled as "Thurbarn" or "Thurborn," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the English language. As time passed, the spelling gradually transformed into its modern form, "Thurber."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thurber can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various forms, such as "Turbern" and "Turbarne," suggesting its widespread use during that era.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Thurber. One of the most famous was James Thurber (1894-1961), an American humorist, cartoonist, and author, best known for his humorous short stories and illustrations published in The New Yorker magazine.
Another prominent figure was Howard Thurber (1900-1981), an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman of the American Express Company from 1960 to 1969. He played a crucial role in the company's expansion and modernization efforts.
In the realm of sports, the name Thurber is associated with Rodney Thurber (1943-2021), a former professional baseball player who spent eight seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals.
The name Thurber also has historical ties to academia. One notable example is Walter R. Thurber (1854-1941), an American educator and author who served as the president of the University of Redlands in California from 1909 to 1924.
Additionally, the name Thurber has been associated with the military. William Thurber (1826-1898) was a Union Army officer who served during the American Civil War and later became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
While the name Thurber has its roots in the English language, it has gained popularity and recognition across various cultures and professions over the centuries, leaving an indelible mark on history through the achievements of individuals who carried this distinctive moniker.
People
Thurber + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thurber 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
Thurber: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thurber?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thurber 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 Thurber a common name?
We classify Thurber 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, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thurber most popular?
The single biggest year for Thurber was 1914, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thurber 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 Thurber in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thurber a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thurber 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 Thurber still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thurber 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 Thurber 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 have the name Thurber?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.