NameCensus.

UK surname

Thrower

An occupational surname referring to someone who twists silk or wool threads or operates a throwing machine.

In the 1881 census there were 955 people recorded with the Thrower surname, ranking it #4,053 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,668, ranked #3,741, up from #4,053 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Earl Soham and St Giles Camberwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Fenland and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thrower is 1,795 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.7%.

1881 census count

955

Ranked #4,053

Modern count

1,668

2016, ranked #3,741

Peak year

1999

1,795 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thrower had 955 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,053 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,668 in 2016, ranked #3,741.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,405 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Thrower surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thrower surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thrower 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 588 #4,351
1861 historical 490 #5,330
1881 historical 955 #4,053
1891 historical 1,128 #3,765
1901 historical 1,291 #3,857
1911 historical 1,405 #3,435
1997 modern 1,697 #3,518
1998 modern 1,764 #3,521
1999 modern 1,795 #3,488
2000 modern 1,736 #3,579
2001 modern 1,717 #3,544
2002 modern 1,733 #3,597
2003 modern 1,670 #3,637
2004 modern 1,656 #3,659
2005 modern 1,625 #3,680
2006 modern 1,635 #3,675
2007 modern 1,624 #3,725
2008 modern 1,657 #3,679
2009 modern 1,686 #3,709
2010 modern 1,721 #3,709
2011 modern 1,679 #3,751
2012 modern 1,619 #3,809
2013 modern 1,671 #3,758
2014 modern 1,686 #3,740
2015 modern 1,679 #3,728
2016 modern 1,668 #3,741

Geography

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Where Throwers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Earl Soham, St Giles Camberwell and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Fenland, North Norfolk and South Norfolk. 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 Earl Soham Suffolk
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 009 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Fenland 001 Fenland
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 010 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 North Norfolk 014 North Norfolk
5 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thrower

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thrower

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Thrower surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thrower household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Thrower is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Thrower is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thrower falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Thrower

The surname Thrower is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "thrawan" meaning to throw or hurl. It likely originated from someone who practiced the skilled labor of throwing or casting items, such as a potter or a blacksmith.

Thrower is found in records dating back to the 13th century in various parts of England. One of the earliest recorded instances is Walter le Throuwere, mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327, where a John le Thrower was listed. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also referenced a William le Throuwere from Norfolk.

During the medieval period, the name was often spelled with variations like Throuwere, Throwere, and Thrawer, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation.

One notable individual with this surname was John Thrower, a 16th-century English martyr who was burned at the stake in Lewes, Sussex, in 1556 for his Protestant beliefs during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England. For example, the baptism of Thomas Thrower was recorded in St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1631.

Another historical figure was Benjamin Thrower, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bocking, Essex. He published several works, including "The Doctrine of Schism" in 1683.

Moving into the 18th century, William Thrower was a notable English architect and surveyor who worked extensively in London and surrounding areas. He designed several churches and public buildings, including the Shire Hall in Chelmsford, Essex, completed in 1792.

In the 19th century, John Thrower was a prominent English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club between 1849 and 1866. He was known for his exceptional bowling skills and played several notable matches during his career.

The Thrower surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Thrower's Green in Oxfordshire and Thrower's Hill in Derbyshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from or been influenced by these locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thrower families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thrower 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. Norfolk leads with 393 Throwers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.47x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 393 27.47x
Suffolk 168 14.82x
Middlesex 112 1.20x
Surrey 56 1.24x
Yorkshire 51 0.55x
Lincolnshire 30 2.02x
Essex 24 1.31x
Kent 17 0.54x
Lancashire 14 0.13x
Durham 13 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 13 1.04x
Cambridgeshire 12 2.04x
Leicestershire 10 0.97x
Merionethshire 6 3.52x
Northumberland 6 0.43x
Staffordshire 6 0.19x
Hertfordshire 5 0.78x
Sussex 5 0.32x
Hampshire 4 0.21x
Gloucestershire 3 0.16x
Cheshire 2 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 0.21x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Somerset 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scole Cum Frenze in Norfolk leads with 49 Throwers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2355.77x.

Place Total Index
Scole Cum Frenze 49 2355.77x
Camberwell 34 5.72x
Earl Soham 23 1173.47x
Great Yarmouth 20 16.87x
St Pancras London 19 2.54x
Gorleston 17 59.03x
Lowestoft 15 28.01x
Wetheringsett Cum 15 455.93x
Barford 14 1372.55x
Brightlingsea 14 133.33x
Heigham 13 16.93x
Hellington 13 4062.50x
Hethersett 13 359.12x
Nottingham St Mary 13 4.01x
East Carleton 12 1237.11x
Great Grimsby 12 12.71x
Pontefract 12 60.42x
Ellingham 11 1018.52x
Hempnall 11 391.46x
Hoxne 11 342.68x
Swardeston 11 1018.52x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 10 38.91x
Hadleigh 10 90.91x
Horham 10 925.93x
Kensington London 10 1.93x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 10 23.28x
Seething 10 800.00x
Eye 9 122.95x
Lambeth 9 1.11x
Rotherham 9 17.31x
Diss 8 65.25x
Ditchingham 8 233.92x
Edenbridge 8 128.41x
Leicester St Margaret 8 3.18x
Rackheath 8 833.33x
St Martin In Fields 8 14.36x
Thetford St Peter 8 212.20x
Thornholm 8 2424.24x
Bromley London 7 3.42x
Castle Acre 7 164.71x
Conside Knitsley 7 32.51x
Great Melton 7 700.00x
Hammersmith London 7 3.05x
Henstead 7 409.36x
Holbeach 7 42.25x
Islington London 7 0.78x
Ludham 7 275.59x
Necton 7 276.68x
Shotley 7 350.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 6.98x
Chelmsford 6 19.04x
Earlham 6 789.47x
Farnborough 6 129.59x
Hornsey 6 5.10x
Norwich St John Timberhill 6 155.84x
St George In East 6 9.48x
St George Martyr 6 38.24x
Syleham 6 674.16x
Talyllyn 6 90.09x
Tibenham 6 297.03x
West Ardsley 6 54.05x
Windlestone 6 769.23x
Wymondham 6 41.01x
Brooke 5 222.22x
Burgh Castle 5 299.40x
Burlingham St Andrew 5 877.19x
Burston 5 381.68x
Byker 5 7.30x
North Runcton 5 649.35x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 5 53.82x
Salhouse 5 250.00x
Saxlingham Nethergate 5 294.12x
St Mary Le Strand 5 168.92x
Wrentham 5 159.24x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 1.66x
Bermondsey 4 1.44x
Salehurst 4 58.91x
South Walsham St Lawrence 4 547.95x
Strumpshaw 4 307.69x
West Ham 4 0.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 49
George 39
James 39
John 34
Robert 28
Charles 25
Henry 23
Alfred 18
Thomas 16
Arthur 15
Frederick 10
Albert 9
Edward 9
Walter 9
David 7
Frank 7
Fredrick 7
Samuel 7
Herbert 5
Stephen 5
Ernest 4
Horace 4
Fred 3
Frederic 3
Noah 3
Benjamin 2
Elijah 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Jonathan 2
Joseph 2
Mathew 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Wm. 2
Austin 1
Clifford 1
Cornelius 1
Dennis 1
Garney 1
Jacob 1
Jaria 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathon 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Thrower surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thrower surname in 1881?

In 1881, 955 people were recorded with the Thrower surname. That placed it at #4,053 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thrower surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,668 in 2016. That gives Thrower a modern rank of #3,741.

What does the Thrower surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who twists silk or wool threads or operates a throwing machine.

What does the Thrower map show?

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