Fun Facts About the Name Thorin
- More than 2 thousand babies named Thorin: U.S. records list 2,300 babies given the name Thorin from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Thorin Mean?
Thorin comes from the Old Norse name Þorinn, a byname meaning "the daring one" or "bold one." It is built from the Old Norse verb þora, "to dare," with the participial ending -inn. The same word served in Old Norse as an adjective meaning "daring, bold," so the name reads literally as a description of a daring person.
Þorinn begins with the same sounds as Þórr (Thor), and the two are sometimes linked, but they rest on different roots. Þórr is connected with words for thunder, while Þorinn belongs with þora, "to dare." The modern English spelling Thorin simply renders the Old Norse character þ, which stands for the "th" sound, as plain th.
Thorin Name History & Origins
The name is recorded in medieval Scandinavian sources, most notably in the Dvergatal, the catalogue of dwarfs in the poem Völuspá in the Old Norse Poetic Edda. There Þorinn stands in a list of dwarf names alongside forms such as Dvalinn, Dáinn, and Náinn. Many names in that list are descriptive bynames of the same kind as Þorinn, which suggests the name circulated in Norse tradition as a characterizing nickname as well as a personal name.
The English-language form Thorin is best known today through J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, where Thorin Oakenshield leads the company of dwarfs. Tolkien took the dwarf names in that book from the Old Norse Dvergatal, so his Thorin is a literary reuse of a name already centuries old, not a new coinage. Later Scandinavian spellings such as Thorin have also seen occasional use as given names in Norway and Denmark, though the surviving record is thin and does not show a continuous line of use from the medieval period to the present.
How Popular is the Name Thorin?
Thorin has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #1,189 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,379 | 134 | 0.0078% |
| 2024 | #1,361 | 139 | 0.0081% |
| 2023 | #1,204 | 166 | 0.0097% |
| 2022 | #1,262 | 155 | 0.0089% |
| 2021 | #1,406 | 131 | 0.0075% |
| 2020 | #1,340 | 134 | 0.0078% |
| 2019 | #1,418 | 124 | 0.0069% |
| 2018 | #1,315 | 139 | 0.0077% |
| 2017 | #1,229 | 150 | 0.0081% |
| 2016 | #1,323 | 136 | 0.0072% |
| 2015 | #1,189 | 156 | 0.0081% |
| 2014 | #1,444 | 114 | 0.0059% |
| 2013 | #1,912 | 74 | 0.0039% |
| 2012 | #3,442 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2011 | #3,779 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2010 | #7,533 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #5,291 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #4,250 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #6,232 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #4,498 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #4,316 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #3,989 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #4,791 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #4,311 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2001 | #4,278 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #5,877 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #4,321 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #4,179 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1997 | #3,722 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #3,663 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #3,421 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #6,919 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #4,427 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #6,638 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #6,459 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #4,959 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #4,249 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1988 | #4,748 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,031 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #3,380 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1984 | #4,922 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #4,866 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,956 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #6,184 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #4,810 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1978 | #5,006 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #4,552 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #4,884 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #4,589 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #3,431 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #4,947 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #3,342 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #4,369 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #4,687 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Thorin Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Thorin's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Thorin's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.