Thornton is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #4848 in 1998 with 14 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1996 with 16 births ranking #4171. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 12.5%. In 1998, approximately 1 in every 136,523 boys born was named Thornton. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.