NameCensus.

UK surname

Thornthwaite

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Thornthwaite surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Crosthwaite (Newlands, Portingscale, Braithwaite, Thornthwaite), Greta Mills and Briery Cottages, Broomfield and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thornthwaite is 150 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.8%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1891

150 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thornthwaite had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 150 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thornthwaite surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thornthwaite surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thornthwaite 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 94 #17,837
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 150 #18,328
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 140 #18,657
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 142 #22,234
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 125 #24,398
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 126 #26,060
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Thornthwaites are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Crosthwaite (Newlands, Portingscale, Braithwaite, Thornthwaite), Greta Mills and Briery Cottages, Broomfield, St Mary Islington, Crosthwaite and Brigham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale. 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 Crosthwaite (Newlands, Portingscale, Braithwaite, Thornthwaite), Greta Mills and Briery Cottages Cumberland
2 Broomfield Cumberland
3 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
4 Crosthwaite Cumberland
5 Brigham Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
3 Allerdale 007 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
5 Allerdale 006 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thornthwaite

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thornthwaite

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Thornthwaite 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

Thornthwaite is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Thornthwaite families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thornthwaite 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. Cumberland leads with 80 Thornthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.57x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 80 70.57x
Lancashire 18 1.15x
Derbyshire 8 3.88x
Middlesex 8 0.61x
Surrey 7 1.09x
Durham 5 1.28x
Somerset 4 1.89x
Berkshire 1 1.01x
Cornwall 1 0.67x
Gloucestershire 1 0.39x
Kent 1 0.22x
Perthshire 1 1.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Newton Allonby in Cumberland leads with 13 Thornthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
West Newton Allonby 13 3333.33x
Crosscanonby 11 293.33x
Everton 11 22.09x
Embleton 9 5625.00x
Cockermouth 8 334.73x
Oughterside Allerby 8 3478.26x
Islington London 6 4.70x
Whinfell 6 12000.00x
Above Derwent 5 1190.48x
Derby St Werburgh 5 42.02x
Stockton On Tees 5 26.48x
Bath St Michael 4 373.83x
Cleator 4 84.75x
Penge 4 47.56x
Blindcrake Isel Redmain 3 2000.00x
Church Gresley 3 91.46x
Croydon 3 8.42x
Eaglesfield 3 2500.00x
Liverpool 3 3.16x
Arlecdon 2 66.45x
Brigham 2 370.37x
Holme St Cuthbert 2 588.24x
Hulme 2 6.13x
Lamplugh 2 350.88x
Mile End Old Town 2 9.62x
Clifton 1 7.66x
Madron Penzance 1 18.45x
New Windsor 1 30.12x
Perth East Church 1 17.95x
Preston Quarter 1 31.45x
Scotforth 1 98.04x
Wavertree 1 20.00x
West Malling 1 99.01x
Workington 1 15.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Margaret 10
Elizabeth 7
Jane 5
Alice 4
Margret 4
Ann 3
Sarah 3
Eleanor 2
Hannah 2
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Etty 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lizzie 1
Louie 1
Maria 1
Marianne 1
Marion 1
Phebe 1
Sara 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 12
Thomas 6
Jonathan 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Tom 3
Alfred 2
Isaac 2
Alexandra 1
C. 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
George 1
James 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
R.N. 1
Thos. 1
Watson 1
Wilson 1

FAQ

Thornthwaite surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thornthwaite surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Thornthwaite surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thornthwaite surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Thornthwaite a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Thornthwaite map show?

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