Given name
Thad
“having heart”
In English use, Thad is a shortened form of Thaddeus. One Aramaic interpretation is “having heart.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Thad is a shortened form of Thaddeus. One Aramaic interpretation is “having heart.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Thad is a shortened form of Thaddeus. Thaddeus has been associated with Aramaic and Greek naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Thad is a diminutive of Thaddeus.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Thad through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,224
- 8,219 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1967
- 365 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,610 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,610 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 30.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 365 in 1967. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,017 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Thad’s family of names
In English usage, Thad is a diminutive of Thaddeus. In English usage, Thad has a conventional equivalent in the Czech form Tadeáš. Thad has a related form in Thaddeus.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Thad
- Thad CochranUnited States Senator from Mississippi (1937-2019)
- Thad LuckinbillAmerican actor and film producerborn 1975
- Thad JonesAmerican jazz trumpeter (1923-1986)
- Thad McFaddenGeorgian basketball player (born 1987)
- Thad AllenCommandant of the United States Coast Guardborn 1949
- Thad LewisAmerican football playerborn 1985
- Thad F. WasielewskiAmerican lawyer, politician (1904–1976)
- Thad WeberAmerican baseball playerborn 1984
- Thad Cockrellmusicianborn 2000
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Thad, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tal
“covered with the morning's dew”
85% boys · 15% girls
Ladd
“a servant; a young man”
>99% boys
Chad
“one who is warlike”
>99% boys
Brad
“one who has broad shoulders”
>99% boys
Theron
“a great hunter”
99% boys · 1% girls
Todd
“resembling a fox”
>99% boys
Jens
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Franz
“a man from France; one who is free” · “frenchman”
>99% boys