NameCensus.

UK surname

Thresher

An occupational surname for one who operated a threshing machine to separate grain from husks.

In the 1881 census there were 336 people recorded with the Thresher surname, ranking it #8,996 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 451, ranked #10,791, down from #8,996 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Southampton St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Somerset, Daventry and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thresher is 483 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.2%.

1881 census count

336

Ranked #8,996

Modern count

451

2016, ranked #10,791

Peak year

1998

483 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thresher had 336 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,996 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016, ranked #10,791.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 402 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thresher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thresher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thresher 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 209 #10,066
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 336 #8,996
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 381 #9,799
1911 historical 402 #9,249
1997 modern 447 #10,128
1998 modern 483 #9,853
1999 modern 460 #10,293
2000 modern 450 #10,433
2001 modern 450 #10,226
2002 modern 473 #10,043
2003 modern 461 #10,072
2004 modern 463 #10,074
2005 modern 448 #10,250
2006 modern 447 #10,289
2007 modern 463 #10,130
2008 modern 458 #10,276
2009 modern 477 #10,206
2010 modern 475 #10,445
2011 modern 469 #10,444
2012 modern 451 #10,640
2013 modern 460 #10,661
2014 modern 465 #10,628
2015 modern 457 #10,695
2016 modern 451 #10,791

Geography

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Where Threshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Somerset, Daventry, East Devon, South Somerset and Mid Devon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
2 Daventry 007 Daventry
3 East Devon 005 East Devon
4 South Somerset 022 South Somerset
5 Mid Devon 003 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thresher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thresher

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

Thresher 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

Thresher falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Thresher

The surname Thresher is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word 'thresscere', which means 'one who threshes grain'. The name was given to individuals who worked as threshers, responsible for separating the grain from the husks and stalks of cereal crops.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Trescher'. This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, served as a survey of land ownership and taxation across much of England and parts of Wales.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Thresher surname was particularly prevalent in rural areas and farming communities, reflecting the agricultural nature of the occupation. The name was also found in various spellings, such as 'Thressher', 'Threscher', and 'Thrusher', reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One notable individual bearing the Thresher surname was John Thresher (c. 1489-1546), an English clergyman and chaplain to King Henry VIII. He was a prominent figure during the Reformation and played a role in the dissolution of monasteries in England.

Another significant figure was William Thresher (1610-1668), an English merchant and colonist who settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century. He was involved in the tobacco trade and played a role in the early development of the colony.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Thresher (1725-1801) was a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Continental Army and participated in several battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.

During the 19th century, the Thresher surname was also associated with the development of agricultural machinery. Hiram Thresher (1812-1891) was an American inventor and manufacturer who patented several improvements to threshing machines, revolutionizing the process of grain separation.

Another prominent individual was James Thresher (1859-1934), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of agricultural machinery, particularly in the design of threshing machines and combine harvesters.

Throughout its history, the Thresher surname has maintained a strong connection to agriculture and rural life, reflecting the occupational origins of the name. Despite its widespread adoption across different regions, the name has retained its distinctive character and continues to be a recognizable surname in many parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thresher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thresher 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. Somerset leads with 92 Threshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.39x.

County Total Index
Somerset 92 17.39x
Middlesex 44 1.34x
Hampshire 43 6.38x
Surrey 43 2.68x
Dorset 38 17.61x
Gloucestershire 23 3.57x
Warwickshire 10 1.21x
Sussex 9 1.62x
Kent 7 0.62x
Wiltshire 7 2.41x
Glamorgan 6 1.05x
Lancashire 5 0.13x
Northamptonshire 3 0.97x
Staffordshire 2 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.48x
Cheshire 1 0.14x
Devon 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.44x
Shropshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 26 Threshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.07x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 26 9.07x
Frome 16 126.38x
Southampton St Mary 13 30.68x
North Petherton 11 257.61x
St Thomas Winchester 11 231.09x
Hackney London 10 5.43x
Bristol St Paul In 9 52.39x
Ore 9 218.45x
Portland 9 77.59x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 13.18x
Hammersmith London 8 9.88x
Dorchester St Peter 7 448.72x
Kingston 7 660.38x
Langton Herring 7 2413.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 10.58x
Stoke St Gregory 7 434.78x
Bathford 6 550.46x
Bishops Lydeard 6 444.44x
Finchley 6 47.62x
Holdenhurst 6 33.96x
Walcot 6 21.29x
Wilton 6 291.26x
Battersea 5 4.13x
Coventry Holy Trinity 5 20.20x
Edgbaston 5 19.46x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 36.10x
Minehead 5 250.00x
Neath 5 42.92x
Radipole 5 335.57x
West Derby 5 4.38x
Fitzhead 4 1333.33x
Wiveliscombe 4 135.59x
Abbotsbury 3 272.73x
Bridgewater 3 20.89x
Charlton Kings 3 67.26x
Chipping Barnet 3 348.84x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.47x
Long Buckby 3 104.90x
Maiden Newton 3 333.33x
Over Stowey 3 508.47x
Paddington London 3 2.48x
Puddletrenthide 3 357.14x
South Stoneham 3 20.52x
Southwark St Saviour 3 17.76x
St Martin In Fields 3 15.24x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 9.30x
Camberwell 2 0.95x
Cheddon Fitzpaine 2 606.06x
Christchurch 2 13.69x
Fareham 2 24.69x
Hornsey 2 4.81x
Kensington London 2 1.09x
Poplar London 2 3.22x
Portsea 2 1.51x
Stoke Newington London 2 7.81x
West Bromwich 2 3.15x
Aylesford 1 32.15x
Bassingbourn 1 32.68x
Bathwick 1 17.06x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.17x
Charlinch 1 454.55x
Clevedon 1 18.18x
Crowcombe 1 200.00x
Dukinfield 1 2.98x
Goudhurst 1 32.26x
Greenwich 1 1.91x
Hampstead London 1 1.95x
Islington London 1 0.31x
Leintwardine 1 72.99x
Lewisham 1 1.67x
Millbrook 1 5.89x
Portisham 1 125.00x
Portsmouth 1 6.45x
Romsey Extra 1 24.94x
Romsey Infra 1 43.86x
Shoreditch London 1 0.70x
St Albans St Peter 1 13.09x
Taunton St James 1 12.95x
Tiverton 1 8.48x
Wells St Cuthbert 1 27.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 10
Ellen 10
Ann 7
Emily 7
Eliza 6
Jane 6
Emma 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Amelia 3
Bessie 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Kate 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Anna 2
Charlotte 2
Constance 2
Ethel 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Nellie 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Agustus 1
Anstes 1
Beatrice 1
Belinda 1
Car. 1
Carol 1
Elizath. 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth.M. 1
Hanah 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Isabelle 1
Jeanie 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 15
James 12
Charles 8
George 8
Thomas 6
Harry 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Philip 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Frank 2
Frederich 2
Fredk. 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Alf. 1
Arth. 1
Arthur 1
Augustus 1
Bertie 1
Bewley 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Ernest 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
J.O.K. 1
Jas.William 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Percy 1
Robt.Walter 1
Thos.H. 1
Thos.W. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Thresher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thresher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 336 people were recorded with the Thresher surname. That placed it at #8,996 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thresher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 451 in 2016. That gives Thresher a modern rank of #10,791.

What does the Thresher surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who operated a threshing machine to separate grain from husks.

What does the Thresher map show?

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