NameCensus.

UK surname

Thirlby

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Thirlby surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Packington, Ravenstone, Ibstock and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lichfield, Charnwood and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thirlby is 147 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

2010

147 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thirlby had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Thirlby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thirlby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thirlby 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 110 #25,529
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Thirlbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Packington, Ravenstone, Ibstock, Loughborough, St Werburgh and Nailstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lichfield, Charnwood, Cornwall and Westminster. 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 Packington, Ravenstone Leicestershire
2 Ibstock Leicestershire
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Nailstone Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lichfield 003 Lichfield
2 Charnwood 012 Charnwood
3 Cornwall 058 Cornwall
4 Westminster 018 Westminster
5 Westminster 011 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thirlby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thirlby

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Thirlby is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Thirlby is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thirlby falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thirlby 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 Thirlby, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Thirlby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thirlby 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. Leicestershire leads with 55 Thirlbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.69x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 55 54.69x
Derbyshire 8 5.63x
Nottinghamshire 7 5.73x
Hampshire 5 2.69x
Staffordshire 5 1.63x
Yorkshire 5 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 3 5.47x
Lincolnshire 2 1.38x
Warwickshire 2 0.87x
Surrey 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ibstock in Leicestershire leads with 13 Thirlbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1780.82x.

Place Total Index
Ibstock 13 1780.82x
Whitwick 9 703.13x
Leicester St Mary 8 98.40x
Derby St Werburgh 6 73.17x
Farewell Chorley 5 7142.86x
Thringstone 5 1315.79x
Cartworth 4 540.54x
Rempstone 4 4000.00x
Romsey Extra 4 360.36x
Loughborough 3 65.79x
Lowesby 3 7500.00x
Normanton Le Heath 3 6000.00x
Packington 3 833.33x
Ashby De La Zouch 2 85.84x
Ashby Folville 2 5000.00x
Atherstone 2 170.94x
Boston 2 45.45x
Bradwell 2 259.74x
Fleckney 2 833.33x
Nottingham St Mary 2 6.33x
Stapenhill 2 94.79x
Breedon 1 454.55x
Falsgrave 1 75.76x
Holdenhurst 1 20.49x
Leicester St Margaret 1 4.08x
Long Ditton 1 138.89x
Toton 1 1666.67x
Wingrave 1 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 6
Sarah 6
Mary 5
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Emma 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Jane 2
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Hellen 1
Lizzie 1
Martha 1
Phoeby 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
William 5
Edwin 4
John 4
Thomas 4
Benjamin 3
Richard 3
Arthur 1
C.R. 1
Chas.S. 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Thos.F. 1

FAQ

Thirlby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thirlby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Thirlby surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thirlby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Thirlby a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Thirlby map show?

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