Theron
Masculine · “hunter”
Theron is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 12,960 boys against 40 girls since 1880.
Theron is a hunter in Greek — from ther, a wild beast — and the tyrant of Akragas of that name won at Olympia.
How old is the name Theron?
Theron was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Theron alive today was born around 1964, making them about 61 years old. About 8,200 people named Theron are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Theron most popular?
Theron peaked in 1910, reaching #447 nationally. Today it ranks #2451, 2,004 places below that high. See the whole 1910 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From ther to Theron
The story of Theron
Theriaca was a compound antidote against snakebite, and English 'treacle' descends from it by way of a sweetened medicine — so a word for wild beasts became a word for syrup. Theron of Akragas won the chariot race at Olympia and Pindar wrote him an ode. The name is in current American use.
Meaning
hunter
From the Greek theron, 'hunter', from ther, 'wild animal'. The same root gives 'treacle', through theriaca, an antidote to animal venom. Theron of Akragas ruled Sicily in the fifth century BC. The Greek is documented.
How the name formed
- ther
- theron
- Theron
Related forms: Θήρων · Théron
Pronouncing Theron
THAIR-un
Two syllables, stress on the first. Greek says THAY-rone.
Nicknames for Theron
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1973172 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #447reached in 1910
- Change vs 2022
- +14.6%55 in 2025, from 48
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Theron in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Θήρων in Greek — transliteration
- Théron in French — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, Georgia, California.
Therons among us
people named Theron are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 31,056 born in 2025 was named Theron
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Theron sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Theron is headed
Theron is easing off slowly — about 18% fewer babies a year by 2030 if the trend continues.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Theron beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Theron in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That 'treacle' descends from an antidote to animal venom is a first-rate etymology.
- Ron is available as a short form with a large record.
- Pindar wrote an ode for the Sicilian bearer.
- One actress dominates the surname's association.
- The hunter meaning is specifically about wild beasts.
- Greek and English say it differently.
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What they receive
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Theron
Masculine · #2451 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Therons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 8,200 people named Theron are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Theron in 2025?
- Theron ranks #2451 among US boy names in 2025, with 55 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Theron?
- About 1 in every 31,056 US boys born in 2025 was named Theron — 55 in all.
- Will my child share the name Theron with classmates?
- Theron will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Theron
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Zaydan#2451 · Zaxton#2451 · Sebastien#2451 · Yuvraj#2451 · Zyir#2451 · Raymundo#2451 · Ike#2451 · Keelan#2451
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Theron? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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