Thurley
Derived from the Old English word "thoorn," signifying a thorn tree.
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Thurley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Thurley today is around 98 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thurley births was 1912 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thurley. 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
- • The typical person named Thurley is about 98 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Thurleys were born before 1938.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Thurley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1912
14 babies that year
Average age
98
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,719
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Thurley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thurley from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 52 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thurley 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 Thurley 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 Thurley
The name Thurley is an English name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "þurr" meaning "dry" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "woodland clearing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a dry or arid meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thurley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a place name in Suffolk, England. This suggests that the name was in use as a surname or location name by the late 11th century.
The name Thurley does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, but it may have been used as a surname or place name in various historical records and documents throughout the Middle Ages and beyond.
One of the earliest known individuals with the first name Thurley was Thurley Greenwell (1844-1928), an English antiquarian and archaeologist who conducted excavations in the region of Northumberland. She made significant contributions to the understanding of ancient British burial practices.
Another notable figure with the name Thurley was Thurley Beale (1893-1979), an English actress and singer who appeared in numerous stage productions and films during the early 20th century.
Thurley Wilson (1906-1981) was an American author and screenwriter known for his work on several prominent Hollywood films, including the 1944 classic "Laura."
In the field of politics, Thurley Milner (1919-2007) was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party from 1959 to 1987.
More recently, Thurley Hicks (born 1943) is an American actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and stage productions throughout her career.
While the name Thurley may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and unique origins continue to make it a intriguing and distinctive name with ties to the English language and culture.
People
Thurley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thurley 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
Thurley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thurley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thurley 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Thurley a common name?
We classify Thurley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 70 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thurley most popular?
The single biggest year for Thurley was 1912, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thurley is about 98 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 Thurley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thurley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thurley in the SSA data are female. 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 Thurley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thurley 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 Thurley 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 Thurley as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Thurley, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.