Baby Name of the Day: Thayer

The baby name Thayer blends the best of former favorite Taylor and current style star Theo. As a bonus, it’s surprisingly rare.

Thanks to Arianna for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME THAYER MEAN?

Two different Thayer name meanings compete.

First, in Latin, taliare means to cut. A taliator was the one who did the cutting.

Whisper it down the alley, thread it through French and carry it into English with the Normans, and it becomes Taylor and Thayer, too.

In French today, a tailor is un tailleur.

So the Thayer surname once attached to those who made clothing. While the profession is spelled with an ‘i’, the surname – and given name – is nearly always Taylor. 

But there’s more than one origin of the name Thayer.

Another theory ties it to the word heir – in Middle English, eir. Add a definite article. Now say “the eir” five times fast, and it starts to sound exactly like Thayer. That’s even more true if you imagine someone being known as William the Heir, because he’s expected to inherit.

Some connect Thayer to the French word for tea-pot, théière. That feels like a stretch. 

And it’s possible that variants of the name, like Theyer, Thayres, Tawyer, and Tayers, point to different origins and meanings.

But in general, the last name Thayer likely comes from the English form of French word for tailor, or possibly from “the heir.”

FAMOUS THAYERS

During the 19th century, military officer Sylvanus Thayer served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point. He advocated for educating more engineers and his reforms are considered foundational to the school as we know it.

In his home state of Massachusetts, Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering is named in his honor. 

At least a dozen places bear the name, across the United States, named after various notables. While there are multiple Thayer families, many of them come from the same early Boston settlers that claim Sylvanus as a relative. 

California gives us Mount Thayer, in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Francisco.

POP CULTURE THAYERS

From Planet of the Apes’ astronaut George Taylor to global sensation Taylor Swift to Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, dozens of pop culture figures have contributed to the our enthusiasm for the first name Taylor. It topped the charts for girls in the 1990s, but remains a Top 1000 name for both genders. 

The name Thayer has appeared in a few places, including: 

• F. Scott Fitzgerald gave the name to the Monsignor in This Side of Paradise, way back in 1920.
• Character actor Thayer David graduated from Harvard, but might be best remembered as the crooked fight manager in the original Rocky film.
• It’s the surname of Ethel and Norman in Oscar-winning 1981 film On Golden Pond.
• In 2003 rom-com How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, it’s the name of Matthew McConaughey’s BFF.
• 2011’s The Lying Game gave the name to a character. The ABC Family series centered on twins, separated at birth, who reunite and try to untangle their family history. He’s a member of the wealthy Ryback family.
• Ohio State football’s Thayer Munford now plays in the NFL. 

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME THAYER?

The baby name Thayer has been used in small numbers for boys, and occasionally for girls, throughout the 20th century. 

As of 2024, 23 boys were named Thayer. 

That’s incredibly uncommon for a familiar surname.

STYLISH SOUND

Surname names have become mainstream favorites, so it’s easy to imagine Thayer as a sibling name for Avery or Walker.

We love Theodore and Theo, and even Thaddeus is trending, so the TH- sound is a bonus. 

Thayer would be an unexpected choice, fresh and slightly unexpected. It fits with names like Wilder and Hayes, blending preppy polish with an adventurous vibe.

If you’re after a fits-in/stands-out name for a son, and surnames are your thing? Thayer might just be the perfect name. 

What do you think of the baby name Thayer?

First published on January 16, 2019, this post was revised on September 23, 2025.