NameCensus.

UK surname

Thorburn

A locational surname originating from places in Scotland called Thorburn.

In the 1881 census there were 1,759 people recorded with the Thorburn surname, ranking it #2,459 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,209, ranked #2,937, down from #2,459 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coldingham, Inveresk and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Duns, Annan East and IZ04.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thorburn is 2,228 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.6%.

1881 census count

1,759

Ranked #2,459

Modern count

2,209

2016, ranked #2,937

Peak year

2014

2,228 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thorburn had 1,759 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,459 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,209 in 2016, ranked #2,937.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,037 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Thorburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thorburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thorburn 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 1,187 #2,393
1861 historical 1,206 #2,352
1881 historical 1,759 #2,459
1891 historical 1,916 #2,404
1901 historical 2,037 #2,628
1911 historical 673 #6,272
1997 modern 1,840 #3,272
1998 modern 2,033 #3,120
1999 modern 2,120 #3,036
2000 modern 2,164 #2,964
2001 modern 2,097 #2,988
2002 modern 2,138 #2,996
2003 modern 2,074 #3,021
2004 modern 2,086 #3,011
2005 modern 2,083 #2,962
2006 modern 2,115 #2,933
2007 modern 2,151 #2,910
2008 modern 2,167 #2,921
2009 modern 2,191 #2,959
2010 modern 2,193 #3,021
2011 modern 2,140 #3,055
2012 modern 2,157 #2,966
2013 modern 2,222 #2,937
2014 modern 2,228 #2,950
2015 modern 2,202 #2,951
2016 modern 2,209 #2,937

Geography

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Where Thorburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coldingham, Inveresk, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Duns, Annan East, IZ04, Eastriggs and IZ20. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Coldingham Berwick
2 Inveresk Edinburgh
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Duns Scottish Borders
2 Annan East Dumfries and Galloway
3 IZ04 East Lothian
4 Eastriggs Dumfries and Galloway
5 IZ20 East Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thorburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thorburn

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Thorburn 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

Thorburn is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Thorburn

The surname Thorburn originates from the Scottish lowlands and highlands during the medieval era. It is derived from the Old Norse words 'Þórr' meaning thunder and 'brunnr' meaning stream or well, essentially translating to 'Thor's stream'. This suggests the name may have originated as a place name referring to a location near a stream named after the Norse god Thor.

Early recorded examples of the name can be found in the 13th century Scottish Exchequer Rolls, with variations such as 'Thorburne' and 'Thorbrane'. The Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the sworn allegiance of Scottish nobles to King Edward I of England, also mentions individuals with this surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Walter Thorburn, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Sir William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Another notable figure was Robert Thorburn, a 16th century Scottish theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.

In the 17th century, the Thorburn family held lands in the Scottish Borders region, with several members serving as prominent local landowners and officials. One example is John Thorburn, who was the Laird of Templestons in Berwickshire during the late 1600s.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thorburn name spread beyond Scotland as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable individual was Robert Thorburn, a 19th century British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several Arctic expeditions.

Other notable bearers of the Thorburn surname include Sir Walter Thorburn, a 19th century British politician and Lord Mayor of London, and James Thorburn, a Scottish botanist and nurseryman who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and made significant contributions to the study of plants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thorburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thorburn 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. Midlothian leads with 264 Thorburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.68x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 264 11.68x
Lanarkshire 194 3.56x
Dumfriesshire 121 32.48x
Lancashire 109 0.54x
Wigtownshire 106 47.33x
Ayrshire 101 8.00x
Berwickshire 74 36.23x
Roxburghshire 73 23.89x
Northumberland 61 2.43x
Middlesex 59 0.35x
Selkirkshire 47 30.80x
Yorkshire 45 0.27x
Durham 43 0.86x
Dunbartonshire 39 8.60x
East Lothian 38 17.01x
Cumberland 37 2.55x
Renfrewshire 27 2.07x
Peeblesshire 24 30.25x
Staffordshire 24 0.42x
Kirkcudbrightshire 22 9.01x
Buteshire 18 17.61x
Cheshire 17 0.46x
Angus 16 1.02x
Surrey 16 0.19x
Stirlingshire 15 2.41x
Perthshire 13 1.72x
Aberdeenshire 12 0.77x
Carmarthenshire 11 1.55x
Fife 11 1.10x
Kent 11 0.19x
Shropshire 10 0.69x
Warwickshire 8 0.19x
Monmouthshire 7 0.57x
Somerset 7 0.26x
Glamorgan 6 0.20x
Sussex 6 0.21x
Channel Islands 5 1.00x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.93x
Hampshire 4 0.12x
Banffshire 3 0.86x
Devon 3 0.09x
Dorset 3 0.27x
Inverness-shire 3 0.60x
Royal Navy 3 1.49x
Argyllshire 2 0.43x
Leicestershire 2 0.11x
Essex 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.32x
Morayshire 1 0.38x
Rutland 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 77 Thorburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.47x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 77 8.47x
Coldingham 54 294.12x
Inveresk 51 83.37x
South Leith 50 19.66x
Barony 40 2.90x
Galashiels 37 65.59x
Govan 36 2.67x
Hamilton 33 21.69x
Glasgow 30 3.10x
Dalkeith 27 60.57x
Penninghame 25 109.46x
Stranraer 24 117.19x
Berwick North 23 146.96x
Hawick 21 30.72x
Peebles 19 81.02x
Langholm 18 67.21x
Annan 17 53.13x
Bonhill 17 23.36x
Islington London 17 1.04x
Kilmarnock 17 11.32x
Stoneykirk 17 106.12x
Dalmellington 15 40.41x
Dundee 15 2.57x
Liverpool 15 1.23x
Melrose 15 56.80x
Jesmond 14 39.65x
Westoe 14 4.92x
Hutton 13 232.56x
Kilmaurs 13 60.52x
Kirkmaiden 13 91.74x
Rothesay 13 26.27x
Toxteth Park 13 1.92x
Huddersfield 12 4.93x
Stow 12 103.27x
Ardwick 11 6.09x
Dunbar 11 35.12x
Hexham 11 28.32x
Jedburgh 11 36.74x
Leswalt 11 71.71x
Rusholme 11 20.61x
West Greenock 11 4.69x
Condover 10 97.47x
Hobkirk 10 259.74x
Kelso 10 32.85x
Kidwelly 10 68.92x
Lochmaben 10 61.24x
Muirkirk 10 33.74x
Seaton Delaval 10 45.37x
Selkirk 10 23.26x
Symington 10 374.53x
Wolstanton 10 5.78x
Birkenhead 9 3.03x
Cockpen 9 34.08x
Deptford St Paul 9 2.03x
Halewood 9 83.96x
Hoddam 9 100.22x
Morton 9 72.76x
Paisley Low Church 9 21.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 1.49x
West Derby 9 1.54x
Bishopwearmouth 8 1.86x
Caldewgate 8 10.06x
Camberwell 8 0.74x
Dalry 8 13.47x
Dumbarton 8 12.68x
Forgandenny 8 220.99x
Johnstone 8 137.93x
Loudoun 8 26.35x
Stannington 8 134.23x
Cumbernauld 7 28.18x
Dryfesdale 7 40.77x
East Denton 7 122.81x
Falkirk 7 4.81x
Kensington London 7 0.75x
Minnigaff 7 76.34x
Romanby 7 290.46x
St Woollos 7 5.14x
Wamphray 7 266.16x
Burnley 6 3.56x
Clerkenwell London 6 1.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 22
Jane 17
Catherine 11
Eliza 7
Louisa 7
Margaret 7
Annie 6
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Ellen 5
Hannah 5
Isabella 5
Jemima 5
Alice 4
Christina 4
Emily 4
Jessie 4
Agnes 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Janet 3
Marion 3
Ada 2
Agness 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Elaybelle 2
Eliz. 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Francis 2
Ida 2
Isabel 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Margret 2
Priscilla 2
Susan 2
C. 1
C.F. 1
Elisabeth 1
Ella 1
J.E. 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 40
James 33
John 26
Thomas 24
Robert 14
George 12
Andrew 5
David 5
Wm. 5
Alexander 4
Frederick 4
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Adam 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Lewis 2
Matthew 2
Anthony 1
Campbell 1
Charley 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Gavin 1
Geo.D. 1
Geo.T. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hy. 1
Jno.H. 1
Kennette 1
Louis 1
Malcolm 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Nathan 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Stanley 1
Wm.M. 1

FAQ

Thorburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thorburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,759 people were recorded with the Thorburn surname. That placed it at #2,459 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thorburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,209 in 2016. That gives Thorburn a modern rank of #2,937.

What does the Thorburn surname mean?

A locational surname originating from places in Scotland called Thorburn.

What does the Thorburn map show?

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