Fun Facts About the Name Thorn
- 312 babies named Thorn: U.S. records list 312 babies given the name Thorn from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Thorn Mean?
Thorn is an English name taken from the Old English word þorn, meaning "thorn" or "thorn bush," especially the hawthorn. The word goes back to Proto-Germanic *þurnuz, and it is related to German Dorn, Dutch doorn, and Old Norse þorn. As a surname, it was likely topographic, for someone who lived by a thorn bush, or a nickname from the same word. The same Old English term also named the runic letter þ and the letter thorn used in Old and Middle English. Later symbolic readings of thorns as hardship or protection are not part of the name's literal etymology.
Thorn Name History & Origins
The Old English word þorn named the thorn bush and appears as an element in English place names, often marking a spot near a hawthorn or thorn tree. When hereditary surnames developed in England after the Norman Conquest, Thorn became a family name for someone who lived by such a bush or was associated with a thorny place. The same word gave its name to the runic letter þ in the Anglo-Saxon futhorc and to the letter thorn used in Old and Middle English writing. As a given name, Thorn is used in English-speaking countries and is drawn from the surname or the vocabulary word. The spelling Thorne is also found, but it has its own associations with English place names and should not be assumed to share exactly the same history as Thorn.
How Popular is the Name Thorn?
Thorn 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 1988. Its best rank was #3,333 in 1988.
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 | #8,189 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #13,992 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #9,642 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #14,113 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #10,681 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #9,467 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,649 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #9,573 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,659 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #8,736 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #10,517 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #11,961 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,860 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #14,015 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #14,144 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #9,770 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #12,394 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #8,105 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #11,917 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #7,055 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #7,469 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #10,752 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,971 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #8,624 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,430 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #7,214 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #7,065 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #5,880 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,920 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #4,670 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #6,088 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #4,204 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #5,769 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #4,787 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #3,333 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #6,032 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #7,495 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,579 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #4,461 | 5 | 0.0002% |
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 Thorn 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.
✦ Thorn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Thorn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.