NameCensus.

UK surname

Thacker

An English occupational surname referring to a thatcher, one who thatches roofs using straw, reeds, or palm leaves.

In the 1881 census there were 2,176 people recorded with the Thacker surname, ranking it #2,039 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,718, ranked #1,831, up from #2,039 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Waddington, Mere Hospital. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, Kingston upon Hull and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thacker is 4,060 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

2,176

Ranked #2,039

Modern count

3,718

2016, ranked #1,831

Peak year

1999

4,060 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thacker had 2,176 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,039 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,718 in 2016, ranked #1,831.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,362 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thacker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thacker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thacker 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 1,397 #2,052
1861 historical 1,263 #2,259
1881 historical 2,176 #2,039
1891 historical 2,332 #2,016
1901 historical 2,916 #1,922
1911 historical 3,362 #1,553
1997 modern 3,801 #1,708
1998 modern 4,001 #1,691
1999 modern 4,060 #1,675
2000 modern 4,044 #1,672
2001 modern 3,942 #1,678
2002 modern 4,026 #1,677
2003 modern 3,914 #1,687
2004 modern 3,876 #1,708
2005 modern 3,794 #1,719
2006 modern 3,765 #1,741
2007 modern 3,754 #1,759
2008 modern 3,811 #1,741
2009 modern 3,889 #1,751
2010 modern 3,943 #1,764
2011 modern 3,894 #1,759
2012 modern 3,811 #1,762
2013 modern 3,852 #1,780
2014 modern 3,864 #1,782
2015 modern 3,788 #1,797
2016 modern 3,718 #1,831

Geography

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Where Thackers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Waddington, Mere Hospital, Cannock and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, Kingston upon Hull, Waveney and Lichfield. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Waddington, Mere Hospital Lincolnshire
4 Cannock Staffordshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 001 Walsall
2 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Waveney 012 Waveney
4 Lichfield 006 Lichfield
5 Walsall 002 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thacker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thacker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thacker, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Thacker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Thacker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Thacker is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thacker is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thacker falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thacker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Thacker

The surname Thacker originated in England, deriving from an occupational name for a thatcher, one who thatched roofs with straw or reeds. The name is derived from the Old English word 'thaeccere', meaning 'thatcher'. It is first recorded in the late 12th century in the form of 'Thomas le Thaeker' in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199.

The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, where thatching was a common trade. The earliest known bearer of the name was William Thacker, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292. In the 14th century, John Thacker is recorded as living in Wigan, Lancashire.

The Thacker name appears in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Theccer'. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also mention a John Thacker, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 list a Robert Thacker.

Notable historical figures bearing the Thacker surname include Sir Edwin Thacker (1518-1590), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another notable bearer was Robert Thacker (1582-1662), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Giles in the Fields, London.

In the literary world, Thomas Thacker (1620-1678) was an English bookseller and publisher who was known for publishing works by John Milton and other notable authors of his time. Thomas Thacker II (1693-1760), his son, continued the family's publishing business and was also a noted bibliographer.

Moving to America, one of the earliest recorded Thackers was John Thacker, who settled in Virginia in 1638. Another early American bearer of the name was Henry Thacker, who arrived in New England in 1634 and later moved to Virginia.

Throughout history, the Thacker surname has seen various spellings, including Thacker, Thaker, Thecker, and Thaeker, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thacker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thacker 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. Staffordshire leads with 386 Thackers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.40x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 386 5.40x
Lincolnshire 266 7.86x
Middlesex 194 0.92x
Warwickshire 169 3.17x
Norfolk 146 4.49x
Yorkshire 144 0.69x
Derbyshire 143 4.32x
Leicestershire 92 3.92x
Lancashire 91 0.36x
Suffolk 79 3.06x
Surrey 73 0.71x
Kent 61 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 56 1.96x
Cambridgeshire 47 3.51x
Huntingdonshire 35 8.33x
Devon 27 0.61x
Hertfordshire 23 1.58x
Worcestershire 23 0.83x
Shropshire 21 1.15x
Hampshire 17 0.39x
Northamptonshire 15 0.75x
Sussex 15 0.42x
Durham 9 0.14x
Somerset 9 0.26x
Cheshire 8 0.17x
Berkshire 6 0.38x
Essex 6 0.14x
Cornwall 2 0.08x
Gloucestershire 2 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Isle of Man 1 0.25x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 56 Thackers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.15x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 56 3.15x
Waddington 48 775.44x
Walsall Foreign 46 12.46x
Aston 37 2.52x
Cannock 32 25.67x
Ramsey 30 89.15x
Islington London 29 1.41x
Nottingham St Mary 29 3.93x
Stoke Upon Trent 29 3.83x
Leicester St Mary 28 14.77x
Leicester St Margaret 27 4.72x
Norton Canes 26 99.85x
Shoreditch London 24 2.62x
Litchurch 23 17.25x
Burton Upon Trent 22 13.16x
Great Yarmouth 22 8.16x
Henstead 22 564.10x
West Bradenham 22 990.99x
Wolverhampton 22 4.00x
Bermondsey 20 3.17x
Stoke Damerel 20 6.49x
Camberwell 18 1.33x
Boston 17 16.55x
Hammerwich 17 167.65x
Leamington Priors 17 12.94x
St Pancras London 17 1.00x
Harborne 16 6.99x
Salford 16 2.17x
Cheslyn Hay 15 115.03x
Church Gresley 15 28.45x
Brightside Bierlow 14 3.40x
Newington 14 1.79x
Sittingbourne 14 24.55x
Toxteth Park 14 1.65x
Aylestone 13 70.23x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.41x
Brimington 13 51.65x
Kensington London 13 1.10x
Stapenhill 13 26.35x
Blyton 12 234.38x
East Bradenham 12 506.33x
High Offley 12 203.74x
New Sleaford 12 55.33x
Benwick 11 186.13x
Chesterfield 11 8.85x
Coventry Holy Trinity 11 6.90x
Derby St Werburgh 11 5.75x
Hulme 11 2.10x
Newbold Dunston 11 34.92x
Ogley Hay 11 74.17x
Anwick 10 396.83x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 1.82x
Colwich 10 58.89x
Nottingham St Nicholas 10 25.73x
Plumstead 10 4.15x
Rickmansworth 10 24.89x
Rushall 10 23.78x
Swaffham 10 37.76x
Thornham 10 211.42x
West Bromwich 10 2.44x
Barkstone 9 248.62x
Bishops Tachbrook 9 208.33x
Bourn 9 32.92x
Bromley London 9 1.93x
Evesham All Sts 9 69.88x
Heigham 9 5.15x
Lambeth 9 0.49x
Leasingham 9 333.33x
Leeds 9 0.76x
Longdon 9 90.91x
Mile End Old Town 9 2.69x
Miningsby In Horncastle 9 937.50x
Moulton 9 55.25x
Rugeley 9 17.55x
Whalley 9 24.58x
Bengeworth 8 84.12x
Clerkenwell London 8 1.60x
Holy Trinity 8 1.59x
Leverington 8 90.60x
Lewisham 8 2.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 117
William 117
George 97
Thomas 89
Charles 53
James 51
Henry 41
Joseph 39
Robert 30
Arthur 23
Frederick 23
Alfred 22
Samuel 19
Walter 18
Herbert 17
Richard 17
Edward 16
Harry 13
Ernest 11
Frank 11
David 10
Benjamin 9
Wm. 9
Albert 8
Edwin 7
Anthony 6
Francis 5
Hugh 5
Thos. 5
Lewis 4
Christopher 3
Daniel 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Leonard 3
Percy 3
Sam 3
Saul 3
Tom 3
Denis 2
Fredk. 2
Philip 2
Rich. 2
Robt. 2
Saml. 2
Sidney 2

FAQ

Thacker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thacker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,176 people were recorded with the Thacker surname. That placed it at #2,039 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thacker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,718 in 2016. That gives Thacker a modern rank of #1,831.

What does the Thacker surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a thatcher, one who thatches roofs using straw, reeds, or palm leaves.

What does the Thacker map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Thacker 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.