NameCensus.

UK surname

Thurston

Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's stone," referring to a stone associated with the Norse god Thor.

In the 1881 census there were 2,113 people recorded with the Thurston surname, ranking it #2,090 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,137, ranked #2,160, down from #2,090 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Suffolk Coastal, South Norfolk and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thurston is 3,358 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.5%.

1881 census count

2,113

Ranked #2,090

Modern count

3,137

2016, ranked #2,160

Peak year

2002

3,358 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thurston had 2,113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,090 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,137 in 2016, ranked #2,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,063 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Thurston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thurston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thurston 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 1,380 #2,079
1861 historical 1,288 #2,211
1881 historical 2,113 #2,090
1891 historical 2,289 #2,043
1901 historical 2,740 #2,025
1911 historical 3,063 #1,699
1997 modern 3,231 #1,991
1998 modern 3,350 #1,999
1999 modern 3,357 #2,015
2000 modern 3,324 #2,026
2001 modern 3,260 #2,023
2002 modern 3,358 #2,016
2003 modern 3,227 #2,036
2004 modern 3,228 #2,037
2005 modern 3,137 #2,066
2006 modern 3,087 #2,092
2007 modern 3,090 #2,119
2008 modern 3,123 #2,117
2009 modern 3,155 #2,140
2010 modern 3,225 #2,141
2011 modern 3,191 #2,133
2012 modern 3,159 #2,126
2013 modern 3,227 #2,125
2014 modern 3,219 #2,145
2015 modern 3,169 #2,150
2016 modern 3,137 #2,160

Geography

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Where Thurstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict, St Mary Islington 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 Suffolk Coastal, South Norfolk, Waveney and Thurrock. 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 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire
4 St Mary Islington London (North 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 Suffolk Coastal 003 Suffolk Coastal
2 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
3 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
4 Waveney 004 Waveney
5 Thurrock 013 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thurston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thurston

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Thurston is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Thurston 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

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

Meaning and origin of Thurston

The surname Thurston originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "þunor" meaning thunder and "tun" meaning an enclosure or farm, thus suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived at a location where thunder was commonly heard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thurston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a settlement called "Thurstonestonam" in Suffolk, which likely derived its name from an early bearer of the Thurston surname.

During the 12th century, a notable individual named Geoffrey Thurston served as the Archdeacon of Norwich from 1175 to 1200. He played a significant role in the administration of the Norwich Diocese and was a prominent figure in the local community.

In the 13th century, a place called Thurston Ville existed in Norfolk, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and geographical locations. This place name likely originated from an individual with the surname Thurston who owned or resided in that area.

Sir John Thurston, who lived from 1437 to 1511, was a notable figure during the Wars of the Roses. He fought alongside Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and was later knighted for his loyalty and bravery.

Another prominent individual with the surname Thurston was Robert Thurston, born in 1608. He was an English Puritan minister who immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts.

Throughout the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname Thurston have been observed, including Thurstan, Thurstone, and Thurstane. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation over time.

Overall, the surname Thurston has deep roots in English history, tracing back to the medieval period and reflecting connections to specific geographic locations and notable individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thurston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thurston 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 439 Thurstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.85x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 439 13.85x
Middlesex 414 2.01x
Suffolk 334 13.30x
Surrey 164 1.63x
Kent 129 1.83x
Essex 107 2.63x
Cambridgeshire 59 4.52x
Gloucestershire 52 1.29x
Yorkshire 52 0.25x
Staffordshire 48 0.69x
Warwickshire 43 0.83x
Hampshire 35 0.83x
Lancashire 27 0.11x
Somerset 25 0.75x
Lincolnshire 22 0.67x
Worcestershire 22 0.82x
Sussex 21 0.60x
Durham 13 0.21x
Northamptonshire 12 0.62x
Dorset 11 0.81x
Oxfordshire 11 0.86x
Hertfordshire 9 0.63x
Devon 8 0.19x
Glamorgan 8 0.22x
Monmouthshire 7 0.47x
Northumberland 7 0.23x
Herefordshire 6 0.71x
Shropshire 5 0.28x
Berkshire 4 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.32x
Bedfordshire 3 0.28x
Wiltshire 3 0.16x
Channel Islands 2 0.33x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.12x
Cumberland 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.24x
Royal Navy 1 0.41x

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 81 Thurstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.05x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 81 4.05x
West Ham 64 7.12x
Lowestoft 44 37.08x
Lambeth 43 2.39x
Bethnal Green London 41 4.58x
Mile End Old Town 37 11.37x
St Pancras London 37 2.23x
St Andrewthe Less 33 22.11x
Ashford 25 36.49x
Aston 24 1.68x
Hingham 24 218.58x
Gorleston 23 36.04x
Camberwell 22 1.67x
S Elmham All Sts St 20 1315.79x
Thorpe Next Norwich 20 59.51x
Birmingham 18 1.04x
Kensington London 18 1.57x
Norwich St Peter 18 86.50x
Antingham 17 934.07x
St George In East 17 12.12x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 16 16.81x
Thornbury 16 57.87x
Wymondham 16 49.35x
Croydon 15 2.69x
Norwich St Swithin 15 273.72x
Hackney London 14 1.21x
Bedminster 13 4.17x
Great Yarmouth 13 4.95x
St Marylebone London 13 1.18x
Surlingham 13 379.01x
Heigham 12 7.05x
Paddington London 12 1.58x
Saham Toney 12 140.19x
Welney 12 165.52x
Wormegay 12 359.28x
Enfield 11 8.13x
Felixstow 11 179.74x
Orford 11 135.80x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 2.65x
Sudbourne 11 269.61x
Bacton 10 304.88x
Bermondsey 10 1.63x
Gisleham 10 465.12x
Hornsey 10 3.83x
Leeds 10 0.87x
Maidstone 10 4.77x
Rotherhithe 10 3.92x
Wolverhampton 10 1.87x
Blaxhall 9 247.93x
Coltishall 9 133.73x
Dursley 9 54.12x
Ealing 9 4.88x
Fritton 9 502.79x
Handsworth 9 5.25x
Hethersett 9 112.22x
Kidderminster Borough 9 5.71x
Little Linstead 9 775.86x
Ovington 9 454.55x
Portsea 9 1.09x
Shoreditch London 9 1.01x
South Elmham St James 9 548.78x
St George Hanover 9 3.34x
Trowse Cum Newton 9 114.80x
Aldershot 8 5.65x
Chatham 8 4.13x
Deptford St Paul 8 1.47x
Eaton St Andrew 8 90.91x
Elvenden 8 363.64x
Faversham 8 11.92x
Framingham Pigot 8 484.85x
Hammersmith London 8 1.57x
Hastings St Mary In The 8 10.79x
Ipswich St Clement 8 12.53x
Ipswich St Helen 8 26.87x
Ipswich St Stephen 8 185.61x
Newington 8 1.05x
Old Newton 8 165.29x
Oxford St Thomas 8 13.46x
Poplar London 8 2.06x
St George Martyr 8 23.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 126
Elizabeth 66
Sarah 66
Emma 43
Eliza 37
Ann 32
Emily 32
Annie 31
Alice 30
Ellen 28
Maria 25
Hannah 24
Charlotte 23
Harriet 21
Jane 18
Harriett 16
Margaret 16
Edith 14
Kate 14
Florence 12
Louisa 12
Rebecca 12
Amelia 11
Clara 11
Frances 11
Lucy 11
Martha 11
Susan 11
Caroline 10
Catherine 9
Fanny 9
Esther 8
Lydia 8
Matilda 8
Susannah 8
Agnes 7
Ethel 7
Julia 7
Sophia 7
Rachel 6
Ada 5
Flora 5
Mabel 5
Maud 5
Rose 5
Anna 4
Anne 4
Eleanor 4
Grace 4
Helen 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 124
John 120
George 90
James 68
Charles 58
Henry 48
Robert 41
Alfred 39
Thomas 32
Arthur 31
Edward 31
Walter 31
Albert 21
Frederick 20
Samuel 19
Ernest 18
Harry 16
Herbert 14
Joseph 14
Francis 13
Frank 12
Richard 12
Fredk. 9
Daniel 6
Sydney 6
Chas. 5
Jeremiah 5
Percy 5
Robt. 5
Stephen 5
Christopher 4
Edgar 4
Isaac 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Harold 3
Hugh 3
Josiah 3
Michael 3
Peter 3
Sidney 3
Alfd. 2
Benjamin 2
David 2
E. 2
Earnest 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Norris 2

FAQ

Thurston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thurston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,113 people were recorded with the Thurston surname. That placed it at #2,090 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thurston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,137 in 2016. That gives Thurston a modern rank of #2,160.

What does the Thurston surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's stone," referring to a stone associated with the Norse god Thor.

What does the Thurston map show?

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