Thando
- Gender
- Mostly boys
- Say it
- TAHN-doh
Thando is a name, meaning “love”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Thando mean?
Zulu and Xhosa thando 'love'
“love”
A Zulu and Xhosa name from southern Africa, meaning love.
Is Thando a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Thando has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Thando in the UK?
No boys in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2006, with 6 boys.
Thando in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 | #4,126 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 2 | #6,127 |
| 2012 | 3 | #4,999 |
| 2011 | 1 | #6,218 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 6 | #2,645 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 3 | #3,593 |
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Thando: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/thando, updated 20 October 2026.