NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornberry

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a thorny hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Thornberry surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 211, ranked #18,904, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, West Devon and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornberry is 215 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 379.5%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

211

2016, ranked #18,904

Peak year

2014

215 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornberry had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016, ranked #18,904.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Thornberry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornberry surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornberry 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 27 #32,115
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 176 #19,415
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 189 #19,146
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 184 #20,079
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 187 #20,132
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 203 #19,327
2014 modern 215 #18,764
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 211 #18,904

Geography

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Where Thornberrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, West Devon and County Durham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 015 North East Lincolnshire
2 West Devon 005 West Devon
3 North East Lincolnshire 013 North East Lincolnshire
4 County Durham 059 County Durham
5 County Durham 061 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornberry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornberry

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thornberry, 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 Thornberry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Thornberry 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Thornberry is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thornberry is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thornberry falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Thornberry

The surname Thornberry originated in England and has been recorded since the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'thorn' meaning a hawthorn bush and 'bury' meaning a fortified manor or dwelling place. Therefore, it was likely given to someone who lived near a hawthorn bush or a thorn-covered hill.

The earliest known record of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as Thornbiry. Other early spellings include Thornbery, Thornberie, and Thornberry. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places called Thornbury or similar variations, such as Thornberia in Gloucestershire and Thornberie in Wiltshire. These place names likely contributed to the development of the Thornberry surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Thornbery, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327. Another early bearer was William Thornbury, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332.

Notable individuals with the surname Thornberry include:

1. Sir John Thornberry (c. 1445 – 1515), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Bristol in 1491 and 1510. 2. Thomas Thornberry (c. 1570 – 1635), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Edward Thornberry (1767 – 1846), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Walter Thornberry (1836 – 1902), an American politician who served as a US Congressman from Texas from 1887 to 1891. 5. Sir James Thornberry (1887 – 1962), a British judge and Lord Justice of Appeal who was known for his work in reforming the legal system.

The Thornberry surname has been found across various parts of the United Kingdom and has also been carried to other countries by British emigrants over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thornberry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornberry 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. Lancashire leads with 15 Thornberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 15 2.95x
Kent 8 5.46x
Yorkshire 5 1.18x
Lanarkshire 4 2.88x
Devon 3 3.36x
Durham 3 2.35x
Surrey 3 1.43x
Middlesex 2 0.47x
Cheshire 1 1.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 9 Thornberrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.45x.

Place Total Index
Everton 9 55.45x
Milton In Gravesend 5 227.27x
Bedale 4 2666.67x
Govan 4 11.65x
Bideford 3 312.50x
Haughton Le Skerne 3 2727.27x
Wimbledon 3 127.66x
Bexley 2 155.04x
Kirkdale 2 23.34x
Liverpool 2 6.47x
St Pancras London 2 5.79x
Barrow In Furness 1 14.43x
Deptford St Paul 1 8.86x
Liscard 1 58.48x
Litherland 1 94.34x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 1 50.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Eleanor 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Henry 3
George 2
David 1
Edmund 1
Frederick 1
H.W. 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
William 1
Wm.J. 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 Thornberry households.

FAQ

Thornberry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornberry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Thornberry surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornberry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 211 in 2016. That gives Thornberry a modern rank of #18,904.

What does the Thornberry surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a thorny hill or mound.

What does the Thornberry map show?

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