NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornburrow

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Thornburrow surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 94, ranked #31,871, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedbergh, Lewisham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Wyre and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornburrow is 135 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.4%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

94

2016, ranked #31,871

Peak year

1911

135 bearers

Map years

2

1901 to 1911

Key insights

  • Thornburrow had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016, ranked #31,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Thornburrow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornburrow surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornburrow 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 95 #28,303
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 89 #29,380
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 88 #30,160
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 92 #31,301
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 96 #31,667
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 94 #31,871

Geography

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Where Thornburrows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedbergh, Lewisham, London parishes, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Wyre, Fylde, South Norfolk and Salford. 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 Sedbergh Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 005 Pembrokeshire
2 Wyre 012 Wyre
3 Fylde 001 Fylde
4 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
5 Salford 009 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornburrow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornburrow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Thornburrow, 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 Thornburrow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thornburrow 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Thornburrow is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thornburrow 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

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

1881 census detail

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Thornburrow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornburrow 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. Westmorland leads with 44 Thornburrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 289.09x.

County Total Index
Westmorland 44 289.09x
Kent 9 3.81x
Staffordshire 7 3.00x
Lancashire 5 0.61x
Yorkshire 4 0.58x
Cumberland 2 3.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kendal in Westmorland leads with 12 Thornburrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 430.11x.

Place Total Index
Kendal 12 430.11x
Lewisham 9 71.43x
Kirkby Lonsdale 8 1951.22x
Preston Patrick 8 6153.85x
Crosthwaite Lyth 7 3888.89x
Lichfield St Mary 7 1044.78x
Cartmel Fell 5 7142.86x
Underbarrow Bradley 3 2727.27x
Sedburgh 2 689.66x
Uldale 2 3333.33x
Burton In Lonsdale 1 666.67x
Haverbrack 1 3333.33x
Helsington 1 1250.00x
Kirkland 1 312.50x
Leeds 1 2.58x
Lupton 1 2000.00x
Scalthwaiterigg 1 1250.00x
Whitwell Selside 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 4
Emma 4
Mary 3
Emily 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Ellenor 1
Esther 1
Louisa 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 6
George 5
William 5
Alfred 3
Henry 3
John 3
Edward 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Thos. 2
Ambrose 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Jonathan 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
W. 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 Thornburrow households.

FAQ

Thornburrow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornburrow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Thornburrow surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornburrow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016. That gives Thornburrow a modern rank of #31,871.

What does the Thornburrow map show?

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