NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornicroft

In the 1881 census there were 148 people recorded with the Thornicroft surname, ranking it #15,611 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 185, ranked #20,652, down from #15,611 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Napton-on-the-Hill and Harbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, West Dorset and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornicroft is 217 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

148

Ranked #15,611

Modern count

185

2016, ranked #20,652

Peak year

1901

217 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornicroft had 148 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,611 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016, ranked #20,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thornicroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornicroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornicroft 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 113 #15,815
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 148 #15,611
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 217 #14,381
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 184 #18,580
1998 modern 204 #17,896
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 203 #18,043
2001 modern 196 #18,146
2002 modern 202 #18,189
2003 modern 200 #18,139
2004 modern 202 #18,110
2005 modern 193 #18,572
2006 modern 192 #18,753
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 194 #19,011
2009 modern 192 #19,527
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 191 #19,871
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 190 #20,201
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 185 #20,652

Geography

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Where Thornicrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Napton-on-the-Hill, Harbury, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, West Dorset, Daventry, Oldham and Cheshire East. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Napton-on-the-Hill Warwickshire
3 Harbury Warwickshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 004 Stratford-on-Avon
2 West Dorset 012 West Dorset
3 Daventry 007 Daventry
4 Oldham 028 Oldham
5 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornicroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornicroft

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Thornicroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Thornicroft household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Thornicroft is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thornicroft is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thornicroft falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Thornicroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornicroft 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. Warwickshire leads with 62 Thornicrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.03x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 62 17.03x
Lancashire 30 1.75x
Cheshire 19 5.96x
Middlesex 12 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 7 3.60x
Staffordshire 6 1.23x
Surrey 5 0.71x
Kent 3 0.61x
Northamptonshire 2 1.47x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Napton On Hill in Warwickshire leads with 22 Thornicrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Napton On Hill 22 5000.00x
Newton 17 128.79x
Aston 14 13.97x
Birmingham 10 8.24x
Harbury 10 1694.92x
Gawsworth 9 3103.45x
Hucknall Torkard 7 141.99x
Congleton 5 90.74x
Norwood 5 151.52x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 8.02x
Dukinfield 3 20.38x
Hampstead London 3 13.35x
Harborne 3 19.21x
Harlington 3 394.74x
Little Bolton 3 13.62x
Newington 3 5.63x
West Bromwich 3 10.76x
Barnsley 2 13.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 7.35x
Croydon 2 5.12x
Hunningham 2 1538.46x
Manchester 2 2.60x
Milton In Gravesend 2 27.06x
Openshaw 2 24.94x
Priors Marston 2 714.29x
Betchton 1 243.90x
Brinnington 1 33.56x
Chatham 1 7.38x
Leamington Hastings 1 434.78x
Leamington Priors 1 11.16x
Northampton All Sts 1 21.69x
Northampton Priory St 1 12.27x
St Pancras London 1 0.86x
Warrington 1 4.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 7
Mary 6
Ann 5
Hannah 5
Jane 4
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Fanny 3
Margaret 3
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Annetta 1
Celia 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Eunice 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Julia 1
Levinia 1
Lida 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Matida 1
Mercey 1
Nancy 1
Rachael 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 7
Thomas 6
Edward 4
Edwin 4
Henry 4
John 4
Arthur 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Charles 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bateman 1
Comfort 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Matthew 1
Saml. 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Thornicroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornicroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 148 people were recorded with the Thornicroft surname. That placed it at #15,611 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornicroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 185 in 2016. That gives Thornicroft a modern rank of #20,652.

What does the Thornicroft map show?

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