NameCensus.

UK surname

Silverthorne

A locational surname denoting someone from a place with silver-colored thorn bushes or trees.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Silverthorne surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 337, ranked #13,552, up from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Huntingdonshire and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Silverthorne is 359 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 149.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

337

2016, ranked #13,552

Peak year

1998

359 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Silverthorne had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016, ranked #13,552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 281 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Silverthorne surname distribution map

The map shows where the Silverthorne surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Silverthorne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Silverthorne over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 76 #20,127
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 208 #14,760
1911 historical 281 #11,953
1997 modern 351 #12,145
1998 modern 359 #12,321
1999 modern 357 #12,433
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 348 #12,419
2002 modern 343 #12,803
2003 modern 336 #12,786
2004 modern 337 #12,818
2005 modern 336 #12,767
2006 modern 333 #12,941
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 340 #12,989
2009 modern 341 #13,214
2010 modern 356 #13,071
2011 modern 354 #12,982
2012 modern 333 #13,468
2013 modern 342 #13,399
2014 modern 345 #13,396
2015 modern 334 #13,645
2016 modern 337 #13,552

Geography

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Where Silverthornes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, London parishes, St Pancras and Tormarton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Huntingdonshire and Bristol. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Tormarton Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
2 Huntingdonshire 020 Huntingdonshire
3 Bristol 007 Bristol, City of
4 Blaenau Gwent 009 Blaenau Gwent
5 Bristol 012 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Silverthorne

These lists show first names that appear often with the Silverthorne surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Silverthorne

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Silverthorne, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Silverthorne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Silverthorne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Silverthorne is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Silverthorne is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Silverthorne falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Silverthorne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Silverthorne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Silverthorne

The surname Silverthorne has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "seolfor" meaning silver and "thorn" referring to a thorny bush or tree, likely indicating that the name's bearer resided near a silvery-colored thorn bush.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1186, where it is spelled "Siluerthorne". This entry suggests that the name may have originated in the Yorkshire region.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Silverthorn", "Silverthorne", and "Silverthorn". These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in spelling conventions at the time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Sir William Silverthorne, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was born in 1265 and died in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Another significant individual was John Silverthorne, a prominent merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived between 1420 and 1492. Historical records indicate that he owned substantial properties in the villages of Grantham and Stamford.

During the Tudor period, the name Silverthorne was associated with several noble families. One such example is Richard Silverthorne, born in 1538, who served as a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I and was granted lands in Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, including those of Gloucestershire and Somerset. Notable individuals from this time include Thomas Silverthorne, a renowned clockmaker born in 1645 in Bristol, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry.

Another notable figure was Mary Silverthorne, born in 1678 in Oxfordshire, who became a prominent figure in the early Quaker movement and traveled extensively as a preacher, advocating for religious tolerance and social reform.

As the centuries progressed, the Silverthorne name continued to be found throughout England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Silverthorne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Silverthorne surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 32 Silverthornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.47x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 32 2.47x
Gloucestershire 19 7.47x
Hampshire 11 4.14x
Somerset 10 4.79x
Kent 9 2.03x
Surrey 9 1.42x
Wiltshire 9 7.84x
Dorset 8 9.40x
Sussex 8 3.66x
Monmouthshire 6 6.40x
Yorkshire 5 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.72x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.22x
Hertfordshire 1 1.12x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Norfolk 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 11 Silverthornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.53x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 11 10.53x
Brighton 8 18.13x
Stapleton 8 165.63x
Bitton Oldland 7 269.23x
Salisbury St Edmund 7 380.43x
Aberystruth 6 72.55x
St George Hanover 6 35.44x
Horton In Bradford 5 24.90x
Islington London 5 3.98x
Iwerne Courtnay 5 877.19x
Lambeth 5 4.42x
Millbrook 5 74.63x
Shoreditch London 5 8.89x
South Stoneham 5 86.66x
Lewisham 4 16.95x
Tottenham 4 19.36x
Bedminster 3 15.29x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 12.52x
East Stour 3 1500.00x
Nailsea 3 361.45x
Nottingham St Mary 3 6.63x
Stockbury 3 1071.43x
Woolwich 2 12.23x
Attleborough 1 99.01x
Bathford 1 232.56x
Chilmark 1 400.00x
Chipping Barnet 1 64.10x
Clevedon 1 46.08x
Croydon 1 2.85x
Enfield 1 11.75x
Fulwood 1 60.24x
Godstone 1 88.50x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 18.28x
Newington 1 2.09x
Portsmouth 1 16.34x
Rowde 1 188.68x
Sutton 1 21.88x
Westbury On Trym 1 11.60x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 34.84x
Wincanton 1 93.46x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Silverthorne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Silverthorne surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 7
Henry 6
Charles 5
James 5
John 5
Arthur 4
George 4
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Willm.H. 2
Alfd.T. 1
Dany 1
Ebenezar 1
Eli 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Leslie 1
Maxwell 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Silverthorne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Silverthorne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Silverthorne surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Silverthorne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016. That gives Silverthorne a modern rank of #13,552.

What does the Silverthorne surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from a place with silver-colored thorn bushes or trees.

What does the Silverthorne map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Silverthorne bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.