NameCensus.

UK surname

Thane

An old English title denoting a high-ranking nobleman or landowner.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Thane surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George Bloomsbury, Winwick and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rushmoor, East Riding of Yorkshire and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thane is 137 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.6%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

1861

137 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thane had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 137 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Thane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thane surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thane 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 137 #16,465
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 97 #23,227
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 115 #25,620
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 114 #25,664
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 118 #27,192
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Thanes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George Bloomsbury, Winwick, London parishes, Rumney and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rushmoor, East Riding of Yorkshire, Walsall, Newcastle upon Tyne and Stafford. 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 St George Bloomsbury London (Central Districts)
2 Winwick Lancashire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rumney Glamorganshire
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rushmoor 004 Rushmoor
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 032 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Walsall 028 Walsall
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 021 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Stafford 003 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thane

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Thane surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thane 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Thane 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

Thane is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thane falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Thane

The surname Thane has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period of the 5th to 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old English word "thegn," which referred to a class of noblemen or landowners who held significant social and political status. These thanes were individuals who served as advisors to kings, governed territories, and commanded military forces.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Thane can be traced back to the Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document contains numerous references to individuals bearing the title "thegn," indicating the widespread use of the term at the time.

One notable figure bearing the surname Thane was Sir Gilbert de Thane, a 13th-century knight from Lincolnshire. He fought alongside King Edward I during the Wars of Scottish Independence and is mentioned in various historical records from that era.

In the 14th century, the surname Thane appeared in various spellings, such as "Theyn" and "Theyne," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in medieval times. One example is Sir John Theyn, a prominent landowner in Somerset, who was recorded in the Patent Rolls of 1344.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Thane continued to be associated with landed gentry and nobility. One well-known individual was Sir Richard Thane, a courtier and member of the Privy Council under King Henry VIII. He was born around 1480 and served as a diplomat and ambassador for the English crown.

Another notable figure was Thomas Thane, a 16th-century scholar and educator who served as the headmaster of Eton College from 1572 to 1588. He was highly regarded for his contributions to education and played a role in shaping the curriculum at one of England's most prestigious schools.

The surname Thane has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Thane (Oxfordshire), Thaneham (Sussex), and Thanehurst (Surrey). These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Thane who held land or estates in those areas.

While the surname Thane has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its historical significance remains tied to the Anglo-Saxon period and the social hierarchy of that era, where thanes held a prominent and influential position in society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thane 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 26 Thanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.03x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 26 3.03x
Lancashire 8 0.79x
Cornwall 7 7.20x
Suffolk 6 5.74x
Worcestershire 6 5.35x
Northumberland 5 3.92x
Surrey 5 1.20x
Durham 4 1.57x
Devon 3 1.68x
Norfolk 3 2.27x
Cumberland 2 2.71x
Kent 2 0.68x
Lanarkshire 2 0.72x
Leicestershire 2 2.10x
Somerset 2 1.45x
Yorkshire 2 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 1.69x
Midlothian 1 0.87x
West Lothian 1 7.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 8 Thanes recorded in 1881 and an index of 139.62x.

Place Total Index
Windle 8 139.62x
Fowey 7 1555.56x
Hornsey 7 64.52x
Lower Sapey 6 8571.43x
Claydon 4 2500.00x
Croydon 4 17.23x
Elswick 4 39.25x
St George Bloomsbury 4 81.30x
Stoke Newington London 4 59.79x
St Luke London 3 21.79x
Whickham 3 127.66x
Barony 2 2.85x
Belgrave 2 93.02x
Dearham 2 206.19x
Gorleston 2 75.19x
Jacobstowe 2 2857.14x
Westwick 2 4000.00x
Whitechapel London 2 23.64x
Albury 1 555.56x
Bathgate 1 35.59x
Bedminster 1 7.70x
Cannington 1 243.90x
Deptford St Paul 1 4.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.16x
Hackney London 1 2.08x
Hampstead London 1 7.48x
Islington London 1 1.20x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 147.06x
Leeds 1 2.08x
Lewisham 1 6.40x
Little Houghton 1 2500.00x
Norwich St Julian 1 178.57x
Shadwell London 1 41.67x
Southwark St John 1 38.02x
St Andrew Holborn 1 34.36x
Stoke Damerel 1 8.00x
Westminster St James 1 11.34x
Whitburn 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 5
Arthur 3
Edward 3
James 3
Robert 3
Charles 2
Geo. 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Edgar 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Osman 1
Philip 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Thane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Thane surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Thane a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Thane surname mean?

An old English title denoting a high-ranking nobleman or landowner.

What does the Thane map show?

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