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Home › Baby Names Directory › Thales

Thales

♂ Boy

Pronounced THAY-leez /ˈθeɪ.liz/Medium

Meaning: Thales is an ancient Greek name connected to the verb thallein, 'to bloom, to flourish,' and so understood as 'blooming' or 'flourishing.' It is best known from Thales of Miletus, an early Greek philosopher and mathematician counted among the Seven Sages. It remains in use today, notably in Portuguese-speaking countries.Low

In 30 seconds: Thales is an ancient Greek name meaning 'blooming' or 'flourishing,' borne by the philosopher Thales of Miletus. It stayed rare, peaking around 2009 (said THAY-leez).
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Origin MediumGreek
MeaningThales is an ancient Greek name connected to the verb thallein, 'to bloom, to flourish,' and so understood as 'blooming' or 'flourishing.' It is best known from Thales of Miletus, an early Greek philosopher and mathematician counted among the Seven Sages. It remains in use today, notably in Portuguese-speaking countries.
U.S. rank (2020)#11867 ↗ Rising
2020 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2009
Total births (all-time)≈ 93

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200919172020

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Thales is a name from ancient Greece, tied to the verb for 'blooming' or 'flourishing.' Its most celebrated bearer, Thales of Miletus, was a founding figure of Greek philosophy and science, honored as one of the Seven Sages. The name has stayed in genuine use, especially in Brazil and Portugal, and it carries both a bright meaning and a distinguished intellectual heritage.

In the United States Thales was always rare, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak around 2009, with thin, scattered use reaching back to the early twentieth century. A boy named Thales at that peak is about seventeen today.

Did you know? Thales of Miletus, the name's famous bearer, was an early Greek thinker remembered for predicting a solar eclipse and for being counted among the Seven Sages of ancient Greece.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Thales — Ancient Greek name; thallein 'to bloom/flourish'; Thales of Miletus, Seven Sages

Variations

TalesThalisThal

Nicknames

ThalTay

Famous Bearers

  • ★Thales of Miletus (c. 624-546 BC)
    early Greek philosopher and mathematician, counted among the Seven Sages

If you like Thales…

Socrates— a like classical Greek philosopher name
Themis— shares the ancient Greek Th- sound
Achilles— another classical Greek -es name for boys
Thaddeus— a similar scholarly Th- boy's name

Explore names like Thales

By themeraregreekclassicalphilosophy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Thales mean?

It is an ancient Greek name linked to 'blooming' or 'flourishing,' borne by the philosopher Thales of Miletus.

How do you pronounce Thales?

In English it is often said THAY-leez /ˈθeɪ.liz/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Thales a boy or girl name?

Thales is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Thales?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the late two-thousands.

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