NameCensus.

UK surname

Thrush

An occupational surname for someone who hunted thrushes (a type of songbird) or a nickname for a cheerful singer.

In the 1881 census there were 214 people recorded with the Thrush surname, ranking it #12,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 341, ranked #13,425, down from #12,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, West Somerset and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thrush is 391 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.3%.

1881 census count

214

Ranked #12,284

Modern count

341

2016, ranked #13,425

Peak year

2000

391 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thrush had 214 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016, ranked #13,425.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 339 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thrush surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thrush surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Thrush 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 214 #12,284
1891 historical 254 #12,598
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 339 #10,510
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 385 #11,698
1999 modern 388 #11,696
2000 modern 391 #11,591
2001 modern 384 #11,565
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 354 #12,319
2004 modern 337 #12,818
2005 modern 341 #12,605
2006 modern 349 #12,473
2007 modern 351 #12,571
2008 modern 354 #12,591
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 357 #13,036
2011 modern 361 #12,800
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 355 #13,045
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 340 #13,455
2016 modern 341 #13,425

Geography

Back to top

Where Thrushs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes, Doncaster and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, West Somerset, Leeds and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
2 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
3 Leeds 095 Leeds
4 West Somerset 004 West Somerset
5 Central Bedfordshire 005 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Thrush

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Thrush

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Thrush is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Thrush is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thrush falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Thrush is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Thrush

The surname Thrush originates from England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "þrysce," which means "thrush," referring to the small songbird. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who displayed characteristics similar to a thrush, such as a melodious voice or a lively personality.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Thrush can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a person named Willelmus Thrusche. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, referencing a Robert le Thrusshe.

During the medieval period, the Thrush surname was prevalent in various counties across England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. The name was sometimes spelled differently, such as Thrusche, Thrushe, or Thrusshe, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Thrush surname was John Thrush (c. 1610-1670), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark during the English Civil War. Another prominent individual was Sir Benjamin Thrush (1762-1832), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars.

The Thrush surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Thrush Green in Hertfordshire and Thrushfield in Yorkshire. These place names likely originated from the presence of thrush birds in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Thrush surname include:

1. Thomas Thrush (1635-1714), an English mathematician and astronomer. 2. Elizabeth Thrush (1776-1846), a British author and poet. 3. William Thrush (1827-1904), an English architect known for his work in London. 4. Henry Thrush (1859-1927), an Australian politician and businessman. 5. Margaret Thrush (1915-2008), an American actress and singer.

While the surname Thrush may not be among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages and has been carried by many notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Thrush families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thrush 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. Yorkshire leads with 53 Thrushs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.55x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 53 2.55x
Middlesex 34 1.62x
Gloucestershire 33 8.02x
Surrey 20 1.96x
Wiltshire 20 10.78x
Somerset 18 5.33x
Lincolnshire 12 3.58x
Derbyshire 9 2.74x
Lancashire 9 0.36x
Berkshire 3 1.91x
Kent 3 0.42x
Essex 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Doncaster in Yorkshire leads with 16 Thrushs recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.40x.

Place Total Index
Doncaster 16 105.40x
Battersea 12 15.55x
Bristol St Paul In 10 91.24x
Hampstead London 10 30.62x
Paddington London 10 12.97x
Holbeck 9 65.36x
Lyneham 9 1232.88x
Horncastle 8 231.21x
Bedminster 7 22.07x
Dunster 7 864.20x
Painswick 7 240.55x
Shoreditch London 7 7.70x
Castleford 6 79.26x
Camberwell 5 3.73x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 40.03x
Gloucester St Aldate 5 980.39x
Limehouse London 5 21.72x
Upton St Leonards 5 480.77x
York St Saviour 5 252.53x
Derby St Werburgh 4 21.10x
Eastville 4 1538.46x
Liddiard Tregooze 4 851.06x
Malmesbury St Paul 4 250.00x
Ripley 4 98.52x
York St Giles In 4 204.08x
Chew Magna 3 254.24x
Clifton 3 14.43x
Deptford St Paul 3 5.44x
Leeds 3 2.56x
Windle 3 21.43x
York St Cuthbert 3 157.89x
York St Michael 3 1000.00x
Idle 2 20.75x
Milton 2 689.66x
Wandsworth 2 9.91x
Bowling 1 4.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.58x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.02x
Doveridge 1 200.00x
Great Somerford 1 256.41x
Hannington 1 434.78x
Isleworth 1 10.73x
Leyton 1 14.03x
Little Somerford 1 370.37x
Old Sodbury 1 196.08x
Oldham 1 1.25x
Pontefract 1 22.32x
Sandhurst 1 32.79x
Walcot 1 5.56x
Westbury On Trym 1 7.17x
Wimbledon 1 8.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 14
George 10
Thomas 9
John 8
Charles 6
James 6
Joseph 6
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Arthur 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Abram 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Chs. 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Nathl. 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Silvester 1
Sylvester 1
Thos. 1
Will 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Thrush surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thrush surname in 1881?

In 1881, 214 people were recorded with the Thrush surname. That placed it at #12,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thrush surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 341 in 2016. That gives Thrush a modern rank of #13,425.

What does the Thrush surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who hunted thrushes (a type of songbird) or a nickname for a cheerful singer.

What does the Thrush map show?

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