NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornalley

In the 1881 census there were 36 people recorded with the Thornalley surname, ranking it #28,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 192, ranked #20,118, up from #28,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Mildenhall and Holton-le-Clay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, Forest Heath and Boston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornalley is 205 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 433.3%.

1881 census count

36

Ranked #28,559

Modern count

192

2016, ranked #20,118

Peak year

2010

205 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornalley had 36 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016, ranked #20,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 100 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Thornalley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornalley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornalley 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 20 #29,743
1861 historical 23 #31,039
1881 historical 36 #28,559
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 100 #22,717
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 181 #19,229
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 184 #19,190
2001 modern 179 #19,215
2002 modern 185 #19,212
2003 modern 192 #18,568
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 197 #18,818
2009 modern 195 #19,329
2010 modern 205 #19,140
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 195 #20,036
2015 modern 193 #20,056
2016 modern 192 #20,118

Geography

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Where Thornalleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Mildenhall, Holton-le-Clay, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Halton Holegate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, Forest Heath and Boston. 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 Burgh-in-the-Marsh Lincolnshire
2 Mildenhall Suffolk
3 Holton-le-Clay Lincolnshire
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Halton Holegate Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 009 East Lindsey
2 Forest Heath 003 Forest Heath
3 Boston 004 Boston
4 Boston 008 Boston
5 Boston 009 Boston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornalley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornalley

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Thornalley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thornalley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Thornalley 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

Thornalley 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

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

1881 census detail

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Thornalley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornalley 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. Lincolnshire leads with 29 Thornalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.65x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 29 51.65x
Lancashire 4 0.96x
Yorkshire 2 0.57x
Huntingdonshire 1 14.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burgh In Marsh in Lincolnshire leads with 13 Thornalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9285.71x.

Place Total Index
Burgh In Marsh 13 9285.71x
Boston 5 294.12x
Carrington 4 10000.00x
Great Grimsby 4 112.36x
Pendleton In Salford 4 80.65x
Middlesbrough 2 44.15x
Stickney 2 2500.00x
Great Gransden 1 1250.00x
Sutton St Mary 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 3
Sarah 3
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Caroline 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Lettia 1
Mary 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

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 Thornalley households.

FAQ

Thornalley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornalley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36 people were recorded with the Thornalley surname. That placed it at #28,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornalley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016. That gives Thornalley a modern rank of #20,118.

What does the Thornalley map show?

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