NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornborough

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Thornborough surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 228, ranked #17,936, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Poulton and Alveston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, South Lakeland and Lancaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornborough is 261 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.1%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

228

2016, ranked #17,936

Peak year

1901

261 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornborough had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016, ranked #17,936.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 261 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Thornborough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornborough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornborough 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 190 #15,486
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 214 #17,211
2002 modern 203 #18,115
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 213 #17,563
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 213 #17,903
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 218 #18,375
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 218 #18,139
2013 modern 229 #17,816
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 228 #17,936

Geography

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Where Thornboroughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Poulton, Alveston, Dalton-in-Furness and Kirkby Lonsdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, South Lakeland, Lancaster, Sunderland and Darlington. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Poulton Lancashire
3 Alveston Warwickshire
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 Kirkby Lonsdale Westmorland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 009 Ealing
2 South Lakeland 001 South Lakeland
3 Lancaster 006 Lancaster
4 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
5 Darlington 006 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornborough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornborough

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Thornborough is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thornborough 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

Thornborough falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Thornborough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornborough 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 51 Thornboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 51 2.84x
Warwickshire 27 7.08x
Westmorland 26 78.24x
Durham 13 2.89x
Middlesex 9 0.60x
Yorkshire 7 0.47x
Surrey 5 0.68x
Worcestershire 4 2.03x
Cumberland 3 2.30x
Essex 3 1.01x
Staffordshire 3 0.59x
Glamorgan 2 0.76x
Cheshire 1 0.30x
Devon 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alveston in Warwickshire leads with 18 Thornboroughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3600.00x.

Place Total Index
Alveston 18 3600.00x
Casterton 8 2666.67x
Chorlton On Medlock 8 28.07x
Crosthwaite Lyth 8 2000.00x
Halliwell 8 122.51x
Great Crosby 7 143.15x
Strickland Kettle 7 2187.50x
Tottenham 7 29.07x
Warwick St Nicholas 7 250.00x
Everton 6 10.49x
Thornaby 6 107.14x
Bishop Auckland 4 66.34x
Esh 4 122.32x
Thornton In Fylde 4 102.04x
Blackburn 3 6.29x
Croydon 3 7.34x
Harborne 3 18.34x
Osmotherley 3 1200.00x
St Cuthbert W O 3 47.32x
Barrow In Furness 2 8.20x
Burnley 2 13.24x
Claines 2 36.90x
Droitwich St Nicholas 2 273.97x
Helmington Row 2 95.69x
Shotton 2 180.18x
South Shoebury 2 166.67x
Swansea Town 2 9.27x
Ulverston 2 38.24x
Atherstone On Stour 1 2000.00x
Bentham 1 87.72x
Clapham 1 5.29x
Coughton 1 833.33x
Crook 1 714.29x
East Broughton 1 196.08x
Habergham Eaves 1 6.10x
Heaton 1 131.58x
Higher Bebington 1 46.73x
Kendal 1 16.45x
Leck 1 714.29x
Over Staveley 1 263.16x
Poulton Le Fylde 1 156.25x
Preston 1 2.08x
South Weald 1 39.06x
St George Hanover 1 5.07x
Stoke Damerel 1 4.54x
Sunderland 1 12.59x
Sutton 1 18.76x
Westminster St John 1 5.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Margaret 9
Elizabeth 7
Ann 5
Isabella 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Baby 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Claudine 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Infant 1
Jane 1
June 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Margt. 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Nattille 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 8
George 7
John 7
Henry 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Frederick 4
William 4
James 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Chr. 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
Septimus 1
Solomon 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Thornborough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornborough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Thornborough surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornborough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 228 in 2016. That gives Thornborough a modern rank of #17,936.

What does the Thornborough map show?

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