NameCensus.

UK surname

Thawley

A surname derived from an English place name referring to a meadow or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Thawley surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 218, ranked #18,481, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Tamworth and Darfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Amber Valley and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thawley is 238 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.4%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

218

2016, ranked #18,481

Peak year

2000

238 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thawley had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 218 in 2016, ranked #18,481.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 185 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Thawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thawley 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 217 #16,761
1998 modern 217 #17,207
1999 modern 231 #16,646
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 230 #16,643
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 230 #16,890
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 227 #17,895
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 218 #18,139
2013 modern 221 #18,252
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 223 #18,165
2016 modern 218 #18,481

Geography

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Where Thawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Tamworth, Darfield, Wath-on-Dearn and Church Broughton, Marston-on-Dove (Hatton). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Amber Valley and North Warwickshire. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Tamworth Staffordshire
3 Darfield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Church Broughton, Marston-on-Dove (Hatton) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 030 Barnsley
2 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
3 North Warwickshire 004 North Warwickshire
4 Barnsley 029 Barnsley
5 Barnsley 013 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thawley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Thawley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Thawley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Thawley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thawley 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

Thawley falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thawley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Thawley

The surname Thawley is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that might have been spelled as Thawley or a similar variation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Thaueleia," referring to a settlement in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name Thawley may have been associated with a specific location or landholding in that county.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Thawley, Thawelie, Thawleigh, and Thawleye. These changes reflect the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling practices of the time, as well as regional dialects and pronunciations.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Thawley include:

1. Robert Thawley (c. 1550 - 1620), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Warblington in Hampshire. 2. Elizabeth Thawley (1673 - 1738), a landowner and philanthropist from Staffordshire, known for her contributions to the establishment of schools and almshouses. 3. John Thawley (1712 - 1786), a British military officer who served in the Royal Navy and rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral. 4. William Thawley (1802 - 1878), an English architect and surveyor responsible for the design of several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 5. Margaret Thawley (1856 - 1932), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in Oxfordshire.

While the name Thawley may have originated from a specific location, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond. The name's longevity and the achievements of its bearers throughout history attest to its enduring legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thawley 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. Yorkshire leads with 47 Thawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.89x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 47 3.89x
Warwickshire 43 13.99x
Derbyshire 22 11.53x
Nottinghamshire 6 3.65x
Lancashire 4 0.28x
Staffordshire 2 0.49x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wilnecote in Warwickshire leads with 40 Thawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4545.45x.

Place Total Index
Wilnecote 40 4545.45x
Thurgoland 30 3703.70x
Sutton On Hill 9 5294.12x
Church Broughton 7 2800.00x
Worsbrough 7 197.74x
Worksop 6 123.20x
Preston 4 10.34x
Somersall Herbert 4 10000.00x
Bolehall Glascote 3 230.77x
Barugh 2 196.08x
Hunslet 2 10.62x
Aldridge 1 126.58x
Burslem 1 8.48x
Darton 1 80.65x
Derby St Werburgh 1 9.07x
Dodworth 1 80.00x
Huddersfield 1 5.68x
Langley Marish 1 111.11x
Penistone 1 106.38x
Thurlstone 1 84.03x
Trusley 1 2500.00x
Wortley In Wortley 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 9
Hannah 6
Elizabeth 5
Alice 3
Emma 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Lilly 1
Margaret 1
Ruth 1
Susanet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Thomas 7
William 4
Arthur 3
Frank 3
George 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Enoch 2
Henry 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Abrahm. 1
Alfred 1
Ambrose 1
Arnold 1
Batley 1
Charle 1
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Patrick 1
Ralph 1
Sam 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Thawley households.

FAQ

Thawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Thawley surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 218 in 2016. That gives Thawley a modern rank of #18,481.

What does the Thawley surname mean?

A surname derived from an English place name referring to a meadow or clearing.

What does the Thawley map show?

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