NameCensus.

UK surname

Thorogood

An English surname referring to one who led a virtuous or exemplary life.

In the 1881 census there were 1,336 people recorded with the Thorogood surname, ranking it #3,072 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,893, ranked #3,361, down from #3,072 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, White Notley, Black Notley and Stebbing. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Rochford and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thorogood is 2,144 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.7%.

1881 census count

1,336

Ranked #3,072

Modern count

1,893

2016, ranked #3,361

Peak year

1999

2,144 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thorogood had 1,336 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,072 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,893 in 2016, ranked #3,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,134 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thorogood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thorogood surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thorogood 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 794 #3,358
1861 historical 589 #4,487
1881 historical 1,336 #3,072
1891 historical 1,478 #2,982
1901 historical 2,031 #2,636
1911 historical 2,134 #2,355
1997 modern 2,073 #2,966
1998 modern 2,129 #3,005
1999 modern 2,144 #3,006
2000 modern 2,100 #3,046
2001 modern 2,067 #3,023
2002 modern 2,117 #3,024
2003 modern 2,064 #3,037
2004 modern 2,027 #3,079
2005 modern 1,988 #3,102
2006 modern 1,961 #3,149
2007 modern 1,957 #3,181
2008 modern 1,955 #3,196
2009 modern 1,987 #3,227
2010 modern 2,030 #3,237
2011 modern 1,974 #3,268
2012 modern 1,926 #3,288
2013 modern 1,949 #3,311
2014 modern 1,940 #3,340
2015 modern 1,913 #3,339
2016 modern 1,893 #3,361

Geography

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Where Thorogoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, White Notley, Black Notley, Stebbing and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Rochford and Maldon. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 White Notley, Black Notley Essex
4 Stebbing Essex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 011 Braintree
2 Braintree 015 Braintree
3 Rochford 003 Rochford
4 Braintree 008 Braintree
5 Maldon 006 Maldon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thorogood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thorogood

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Thorogood is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Thorogood is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Thorogood

The surname Thorogood is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name "Thorowood" in Hertfordshire, which was recorded as "Thorauuode" in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name is composed of the Old English elements "thoru," meaning a cross or boundary, and "wudu," meaning a wood or forest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Thorawode" in the Feet of Fines records for Essex in 1272. The earliest recorded instance of the modern spelling "Thorogood" dates back to 1524 when Robert Thorogood was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Thorogood, who was born in Oxfordshire around 1580 and became a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.

Another notable figure was Thomas Thorogood, a 17th-century clergyman and writer from Norfolk. He was born in 1594 and authored several religious works, including "A Vindication of the Reformed Gospel" (1658).

In the 18th century, Samuel Thorogood (1725-1795) was a renowned architect from Cambridgeshire who designed several churches and country houses in the region.

Moving to the 19th century, Henry Thorogood (1812-1891) was a British politician and Member of Parliament for Guildford from 1868 to 1880.

Another individual of note was William Thorogood (1847-1935), a cricketer from Kent who played first-class cricket for both Kent and Gloucestershire in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the Thorogood surname has been associated with various localities in England, particularly in the counties of Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Kent, where it has deep roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thorogood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thorogood 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. Essex leads with 600 Thorogoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.41x.

County Total Index
Essex 600 23.41x
Middlesex 252 1.94x
Hertfordshire 109 12.18x
Surrey 99 1.56x
Bedfordshire 56 8.33x
Kent 52 1.17x
Yorkshire 22 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 21 2.55x
Glamorgan 15 0.66x
Lancashire 13 0.08x
Northamptonshire 12 0.98x
Sussex 12 0.55x
Suffolk 11 0.70x
Inverness-shire 10 2.58x
Berkshire 9 0.92x
Cheshire 9 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.89x
Lincolnshire 6 0.29x
Hampshire 5 0.19x
Oxfordshire 3 0.37x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.73x
Leicestershire 2 0.14x
Devon 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.39x
Somerset 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 39 Thorogoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.10x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 39 3.10x
Braintree 34 147.76x
Luton 33 28.36x
Stebbing 31 625.00x
Redbourn 30 306.75x
Fairsted 27 2109.38x
Wethersfield 27 417.96x
Hitchin 26 64.36x
Prittlewell 26 73.20x
White Notley 23 1121.95x
Deptford St Paul 18 5.27x
Mile End Old Town 18 8.78x
Romford 18 44.42x
Great Burstead 17 182.21x
St Pancras London 16 1.53x
Camberwell 15 1.81x
Hackney London 14 1.92x
St George In East 14 15.85x
West Ham 14 2.47x
Shoreditch London 13 2.31x
Southminster 13 231.32x
Witham 13 98.48x
Great Bardfield 12 285.04x
Barking 11 14.67x
Dagenham 11 72.13x
Edmonton 11 10.52x
Elstow 11 443.55x
Great Stambridge 11 827.07x
Hatfield Peverel 11 198.92x
Newington 11 2.29x
St Andrewthe Less 11 11.71x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.77x
Burnham 10 105.60x
Great Easton 10 287.36x
Inverness 10 10.25x
Maldon St Peter 10 76.57x
Poplar London 10 4.08x
Bermondsey 9 2.33x
Chelmsford 9 20.47x
Colchester St Giles 9 35.55x
Gisburn 9 381.36x
Kingston On Thames 9 5.92x
Little Hallingbury 9 347.49x
Maldon St Marys 9 146.58x
Brighton 8 1.81x
Canewdon 8 250.00x
Chelsea London 8 2.04x
Croydon 8 2.28x
Dengie 8 559.44x
Dukinfield 8 6.04x
Fobbing 8 421.05x
Hemel Hempstead 8 19.84x
Kensington London 8 1.11x
Northampton All Sts 8 19.31x
Purleigh 8 208.88x
Tillingham 8 176.99x
Enfield 7 8.22x
Friern Barnet 7 24.48x
Gravesend 7 18.66x
Harrow On The Hill 7 26.99x
Leyton Low 7 13.44x
North Weald Bassett 7 157.30x
Rayleigh 7 118.64x
St Marylebone London 7 1.01x
Swansea Town 7 3.78x
Tottenham 7 3.39x
Windle 7 8.07x
Brightside Bierlow 6 2.38x
Broxbourne 6 33.82x
Cardiff St John 6 8.13x
Cressing 6 250.00x
Dorking 6 14.12x
Epping 6 57.64x
Fulham London 6 3.19x
Lambeth 6 0.53x
Little Burstead 6 674.16x
Rochford 6 80.43x
Southwark St Saviour 6 8.99x
St Clement Danes 6 28.54x
Wanstead 6 13.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 80
John 57
George 52
Charles 41
James 41
Thomas 33
Henry 28
Joseph 28
Edward 21
Samuel 21
Arthur 18
Frederick 16
Walter 16
Alfred 15
Ernest 12
Harry 11
Robert 10
Albert 8
Herbert 8
David 7
Fred 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 4
Frank 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Stephen 3
A. 2
Amos 2
Daniel 2
Ezekial 2
G. 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Josiah 2
Leonard 2
Moses 2
Nathan 2
Parker 2
Richard 2
Ritchard 2
Sidney 2
Stanley 2
Charlie 1
Elijah 1

FAQ

Thorogood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thorogood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,336 people were recorded with the Thorogood surname. That placed it at #3,072 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thorogood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,893 in 2016. That gives Thorogood a modern rank of #3,361.

What does the Thorogood surname mean?

An English surname referring to one who led a virtuous or exemplary life.

What does the Thorogood map show?

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