The Thayer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,625 people carried this name — #2,186 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,700 people counted. That is up 1% from 16,496 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Thayer surname

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison classes it as an Anglo-French-Teutonic name: ‘National Army’.

Representing an Old Frankish cognate, Thiadher (A.D. 799), of the Anglo-Saxon Theodhere.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 215 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

265 families named Thayer, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,504 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 206
Vermont 18
Connecticut 12
New Hampshire 11
New York 9
Rhode Island 5
Maine 3
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 265 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Thayer in American newspapers,
1878–1919.

Newspaper page from Harrisburg Telegraph carrying the name Thayer
Harrisburg Telegraph 1919-02-21
Newspaper page from The New Bloomfield, Pa. Times carrying the name Thayer
The New Bloomfield, Pa. Times 1878-12-24
Newspaper page from The Watchman And Southron carrying the name Thayer
The Watchman And Southron 1914-10-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 379,822 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Thayer in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

1,720 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Thayer. The most, 505, date from the 1880s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 608
Victoria 468
South Australia 248
Queensland 200
Western Australia 122
Tasmania 39
ACT (Canberra) 16
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Thayer.

Who carried it

People named Thayer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Nathaniel Thayer
    Nathaniel Thayer 1769–1840 · Christian minister
  • Elaine Orr d. 1974
  • Naomi Thayer 1662–1718
  • Thomas Thayer 1664–1738
  • Josiah Thayer 1670–1726
  • Hannah Thayer 1698–

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Thayer,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,674 records

1,674 records of the Thayer name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 581
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 358
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 316
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 270
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 98
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 46
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Howard E. Thayer

    Born 1921 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1942 at Boston; farm hand from Norfolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at South Hopedale Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah Ann Thayer

    Arrived at Philadelphia in 1850 aboard the Kalamazoo from Liverpool, aged 25; milliner. From Ireland; bound for Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James B. Thayer

    Born 1932; from Washington, D.C. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1952 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,674 records for Thayer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia31 records

31 records of the Thayer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 19
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 5
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 4
  • Tasmanian Names Index 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Thayer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1860 aboard the Wanata, aged 18; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Fredk Thayer

    Arrived in Queensland in 1882 aboard the Zamora, aged 26.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Albert W. Thayer

    Driver of Kensington, Victoria; died 1939.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 31 records for Thayer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada17 records

17 records of the Thayer name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Thayer

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Prussian, landing at Portland, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eric Baker Thayer

    Buried in 1972 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Francis Thayer

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 17 records for Thayer in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Thayer name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. R. Thayer

    Royal Horse Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. J. Thayer

    Hampshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Thayer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Kenneth Thayer

    Born 1916 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Thayer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Thayer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Thayer volume
Scroll to Top