NameCensus.

UK surname

Thayer

An English occupational surname referring to a roof thatcher or thatch layer.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Thayer surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Waverley and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thayer is 272 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.1%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

272 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thayer had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 272 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thayer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thayer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thayer 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 251 #13,102
1911 historical 272 #12,205
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 247 #15,932
2000 modern 246 #15,914
2001 modern 236 #16,094
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 214 #17,378
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 218 #17,477
2008 modern 212 #17,950
2009 modern 221 #17,848
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 237 #17,235
2012 modern 238 #17,092
2013 modern 234 #17,556
2014 modern 237 #17,528
2015 modern 229 #17,846
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Thayers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Tunbridge, Bidborough, St Philip and Jacob and Winscombe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Waverley, Bristol and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
5 Winscombe Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 004 North Somerset
2 Waverley 006 Waverley
3 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of
4 North Somerset 011 North Somerset
5 Southend-on-Sea 012 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thayer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thayer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thayer, 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 Thayer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Thayer 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Thayer is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thayer 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

Thayer 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 Thayer 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 Thayer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Thayer

The surname Thayer is believed to have originated in England, derived from the Old English word "thegn," meaning a servant or attendant. This name likely emerged in the early medieval period, referring to individuals who held positions of service or attended to those of higher social status.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thayer can be found in the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. This historical document mentions a landowner named Godric Thayer in Berkshire, England.

As time passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Thair, Thayre, and Thaier, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional dialects. Some of these variations may have been influenced by places where families bearing this surname resided, such as the village of Thayer in Oxfordshire.

Historically, the Thayer surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was John Thayer, who lived in the 16th century and served as the Headmaster of Winchester College, a prestigious educational institution in Hampshire, England.

Another prominent bearer of the Thayer name was Nathaniel Thayer (1769-1840), an American businessman and philanthropist from Massachusetts. He made significant contributions to Harvard University and the Boston Athenæum, a renowned library and cultural institution.

In the literary realm, James Bradley Thayer (1831-1902), a renowned legal scholar and professor at Harvard Law School, left a lasting impact on American jurisprudence with his influential works on constitutional law and the role of the judiciary.

The Thayer surname also has connections to the military. One notable figure was Sylvanus Thayer (1785-1872), an American military officer and educator who served as the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, playing a crucial role in shaping the academy's educational curriculum.

Another individual of historical significance was John Milton Thayer (1820-1890), a Union Army general during the American Civil War, who later served as a United States Senator from Nebraska and played a pivotal role in the state's development.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thayer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thayer 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. Somerset leads with 43 Thayers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.97x.

County Total Index
Somerset 43 14.97x
Middlesex 32 1.79x
Gloucestershire 27 7.71x
Sussex 18 5.98x
Glamorgan 16 5.15x
Monmouthshire 15 11.62x
Suffolk 9 4.14x
Surrey 8 0.92x
Lancashire 5 0.24x
Berkshire 3 2.24x
Devon 3 0.81x
Cornwall 2 0.99x
Kent 1 0.16x
Norfolk 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Easton In Gordano in Somerset leads with 11 Thayers recorded in 1881 and an index of 948.28x.

Place Total Index
Easton In Gordano 11 948.28x
Trevethin 11 90.24x
Bedminster 10 37.04x
Bow London 10 44.01x
Fernhurst 10 1492.54x
Roath 10 70.82x
Beccles 9 257.14x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 8 250.78x
Tottenham 8 28.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 21.24x
Winscombe 7 897.44x
Woolbeding 7 3181.82x
Bath St Michael 6 413.79x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 78.00x
Hawling 5 5555.56x
Liverpool 5 3.89x
Mile End Old Town 5 17.74x
Wimbledon 5 51.18x
Churchill 4 869.57x
St Pancras London 4 2.78x
Ystradyfodwg 4 14.67x
Camberwell 3 2.63x
Clewer 3 54.64x
Acton 2 19.12x
East Stonehouse 2 27.32x
Hammersmith London 2 4.55x
Llanover 2 45.35x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 6.70x
Newport 2 32.47x
Wedmore 2 106.95x
Weston Super Mare 2 27.55x
Beckenham 1 12.56x
Cheltenham 1 3.70x
Clifton 1 5.65x
Congresbury 1 136.99x
Edgware 1 200.00x
Hastings St Mary 1 13.35x
Norwich St Peter 1 55.56x
Padstow 1 74.63x
St Minver 1 161.29x
Tormoham 1 6.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 7
Emma 7
Ellen 6
Ada 4
Ann 4
Eliza 4
Sarah 4
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Agnes 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Alfred 1
Alma 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Cora 1
Emelia 1
Fannie 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Mabel 1
Mahala 1
Margraet 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Millicent 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 11
John 10
William 8
Charles 7
Henry 7
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Arthur 2
James 2
Jno. 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Alfd. 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Herman 1
Isaac 1
Isreal 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
W.Frederick 1
Wm.Hedley 1

FAQ

Thayer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thayer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Thayer surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thayer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Thayer a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Thayer surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a roof thatcher or thatch layer.

What does the Thayer map show?

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