The given name Thurman is an English masculine name derived from the Old English surname Thurman, meaning "the man from Thor's village." The name has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon tradition and is associated with the Norse god Thor, the god of thunder and lightning in Germanic mythology.

The earliest recorded use of the name Thurman dates back to the 11th century in England. It was primarily used as a surname during the Middle Ages, but over time, it transitioned into a given name as well. The name gained popularity in the United States during the 19th century, particularly among families of English descent.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Thurman was Thurman ibn Said, an 11th-century Arab traveler and scholar who wrote about his travels through various parts of Europe and the Middle East. Another notable figure was Thurman Munson, an American professional baseball player who played for the New York Yankees from 1969 to 1979 and was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1979 at the age of 32.

In literature, the name Thurman appears in Herman Melville's famous novel "Moby Dick," where it is the name of one of the crew members aboard the whaling ship Pequod. The character Thurman is described as a dedicated and skilled sailor.

Other notable individuals with the name Thurman include Thurman Thomas, a former American football running back who played for the Buffalo Bills from 1988 to 2000 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Thurman Munson, an American diplomat and author, served as the United States Ambassador to Bahrain from 1959 to 1961.

The name Thurman has also been associated with several notable figures in the entertainment industry, such as Thurman Berton, an American actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the 1950s and 1960s, and Thurman Arnold, an American lawyer, author, and political philosopher who served as the head of the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice from 1938 to 1943.