NameCensus.

UK surname

Thorniley

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Thorniley surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and North Meols. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Warrington, Rochdale and Bolsover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thorniley is 193 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.3%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1911

193 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thorniley had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Thorniley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thorniley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Thorniley 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 71 #20,875
1861 historical 81 #23,431
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 193 #15,294
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 179 #19,539
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 173 #19,635
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 175 #19,690
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 172 #20,073
2007 modern 174 #20,166
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 177 #20,560
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 171 #21,337
2012 modern 167 #21,598
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 172 #21,649
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

Back to top

Where Thornileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, North Meols, Manchester and Cheadle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Warrington, Rochdale and Bolsover. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 North Meols Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Cheadle Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Warrington 014 Warrington
2 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
3 Warrington 018 Warrington
4 Bolsover 009 Bolsover
5 Warrington 012 Warrington

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Thorniley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Thorniley

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Thorniley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thorniley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Thorniley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thorniley is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thorniley 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 Thorniley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Thorniley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Thorniley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thorniley 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. Cheshire leads with 59 Thornileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.10x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 59 22.10x
Lancashire 47 3.27x
Middlesex 12 0.99x
Derbyshire 6 3.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockport in Cheshire leads with 15 Thornileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.17x.

Place Total Index
Stockport 15 109.17x
Hurdsfield 11 670.73x
Pendleton In Salford 8 46.78x
Brinnington 7 281.12x
North Meols 7 49.82x
Rusholme 6 156.66x
Burnage 5 1428.57x
Cheadle 5 98.04x
Hackney London 5 7.37x
St Marylebone London 5 7.74x
Bolsover 4 421.05x
Broughton In Salford 4 30.49x
Dukinfield 4 32.41x
Heaton Norris 4 48.96x
Romiley 4 533.33x
Bramhall 3 270.27x
Hyde 3 38.07x
Salford 3 7.11x
Sandbach 3 131.58x
Ardwick 2 15.46x
Birkdale 2 55.10x
St George Hanover 2 12.67x
Toxteth Park 2 4.12x
Warrington 2 11.76x
Altrincham 1 21.46x
Bakewell 1 96.15x
Bredbury 1 64.52x
Gawsworth 1 416.67x
Glossop Dale 1 11.27x
Macclesfield 1 8.42x
Openshaw 1 14.88x
Withington 1 21.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 6
Annie 4
Elizabeth 4
Emma 4
Ann 3
Jane 3
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
A. 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Brenda 1
Eliza. 1
Elizab. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Thorniley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thorniley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Thorniley surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thorniley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Thorniley a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Thorniley map show?

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