Thurza
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "lofty" or "exalted".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Thurza. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Thurza today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thurza births was 1913 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thurza. 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 Thurza is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Thurzas were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Thurza. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1913
8 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1955 SSA rank
#6,646
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Thurza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thurza from the 1900s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 36 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thurza 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 Thurza 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 Thurza
The name Thurza is thought to have originated from the Old English word "þursa," which means "giant" or "demon." It is believed to have been derived from the Proto-Germanic word "þursu-," which is related to the Old Norse word "þurs" and the Old High German word "turis," both of which also refer to giants or demons.
The name Thurza was likely used in Anglo-Saxon England during the 5th to 11th centuries. However, there are no known historical references or records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures from that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thurza can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Thurza de Warelwast," referring to a woman from Warlewast, a village in Normandy.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Thurza. One of the most famous was Thurza Browne (1773-1845), an American writer and educator from Rhode Island who was a pioneer in the field of women's education. She founded the Browne Female Academy in Providence, one of the first institutions of higher education for women in the United States.
Another notable Thurza was Thurza Milton (1815-1890), an American philanthropist and social reformer from Massachusetts. She was a prominent advocate for the abolition of slavery and worked tirelessly to support the Union cause during the American Civil War.
In the 19th century, there was also Thurza Abigail Hanvey (1828-1899), an American author and educator from Ohio. She wrote several books on the topics of temperance and women's rights and was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement.
Another historical figure named Thurza was Thurza Ann Spencer (1835-1912), an American painter and illustrator from New York. She is best known for her detailed illustrations of nature and wildlife, which were widely published in magazines and books during the late 19th century.
Lastly, Thurza Irene Hunter (1855-1932) was an American educator and author from Iowa. She was a pioneer in the field of physical education and wrote several books on the importance of exercise and healthy living for women and children.
People
Thurza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thurza 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
Thurza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thurza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thurza 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Thurza a common name?
We classify Thurza as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 71 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thurza most popular?
The single biggest year for Thurza was 1913, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thurza is about 88 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thurza a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thurza 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.
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.