Thyra
A feminine name of Scandinavian origin meaning "strength, warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 502 living Americans carry the first name Thyra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Thyra today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thyra births was 1918 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thyra. 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
502
~ 1 in 682,778 Americans
Peak year
1918
30 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,358
Tracked since 1896
Popularity
Thyra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thyra from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 206 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
Thyra 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 Thyra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Thyras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Thyra
The name Thyra has its roots in Old Norse and Scandinavian languages. It is derived from the Old Norse word "þyrr," which means "Thor," the powerful god of thunder in Norse mythology. This name was particularly popular in ancient Norse and Viking cultures, where the worship of Thor played a significant role in their beliefs and traditions.
During the Viking Age, spanning from the late 8th to the late 11th century, the name Thyra was commonly bestowed upon girls born within Norse communities. It was a name associated with strength, bravery, and the protection of the mighty Thor. The earliest recorded use of the name Thyra dates back to the 9th century, when it was mentioned in various Norse sagas and historical accounts.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Thyra was Thyra Danebod, a semi-legendary Danish queen who lived in the late 10th century. According to chronicles, she was the wife of King Gorm the Old and played a crucial role in the unification of Denmark and the spread of Christianity throughout the kingdom.
Another prominent Thyra was Thyra Sveinsdóttir, a Norwegian princess who lived in the 11th century. She was the daughter of King Svein Hákonarson and was married to the Danish prince Harald Svendsen, who later became King Harald III of Denmark.
In the realm of literature, the name Thyra appears in the Icelandic Sagas, such as the Saga of the Jomsvikings, which recounts the exploits of a legendary Danish prince named Thyri and his involvement in the Battle of Hjörungavágr in the late 10th century.
Thyra Munkedatter, a Danish noble who lived in the 12th century, is also noteworthy. She was the daughter of King Eric III of Denmark and played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Moving forward in history, Thyra Danneskiold-Samsøe, a Danish noblewoman born in 1815, was a prominent figure in the cultural and literary circles of her era. She was a writer and philanthropist who established several educational institutions and supported the arts.
Throughout the centuries, the name Thyra has maintained its strong connection to Scandinavian cultures and Norse mythology, reflecting the enduring legacy of the powerful god Thor and the valor and strength associated with this ancient name.
People
Thyra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thyra 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
Thyra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thyra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 502 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thyra 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 682,778 US residents.
Is Thyra a common name?
We classify Thyra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,312 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thyra most popular?
The single biggest year for Thyra was 1918, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thyra is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Thyra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thyra 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.