NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornham

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Thornham surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cave, South, Hull Holy Trinity and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornham is 153 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.6%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

1911

153 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornham had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Thornham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornham 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 112 #21,382
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 133 #23,308
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Thornhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cave, South, Hull Holy Trinity, Dean, Brantingham and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire and York. 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 Cave, South Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Brantingham Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 024 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 York 012 York
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornham

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

Thornham 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

Thornham falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Thornham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornham 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. Yorkshire leads with 52 Thornhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 52 6.81x
Lancashire 12 1.31x
Cheshire 6 3.53x
Lincolnshire 4 3.25x
Middlesex 2 0.26x
Bedfordshire 1 2.51x
Durham 1 0.44x
Kent 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Cave in Yorkshire leads with 22 Thornhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 8800.00x.

Place Total Index
South Cave 22 8800.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 123.97x
Holy Trinity 8 43.57x
Sculcoates 8 66.12x
Monks Coppenhall 6 93.46x
Brantingham 4 5714.29x
Clee With Weelsby 4 148.15x
Shipley 3 75.76x
Bradford 2 10.82x
Spotland 2 19.69x
Everton 1 3.43x
Folkestone 1 19.61x
Hammersmith London 1 5.27x
Islington London 1 1.34x
North Cave Drewton 1 333.33x
Nunnington 1 909.09x
Sandy 1 142.86x
Seaton Wassand 1 909.09x
South Shields 1 49.02x
Walkington 1 384.62x
York St Giles In 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
John 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
William 3
Geo. 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Jefferson 1
Miles 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Thornham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Thornham surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Thornham a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Thornham map show?

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