Find out how popular the last name Silverthorn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Silverthorn.

Silverthorn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Silverthorn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silverthorn in America

Silverthorn is the 23576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silverthorn surname appeared 1,077 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Silverthorn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silverthorn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Silverthorn

The surname Silverthorn is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Silverthorn, a former hamlet located near the village of Lidgate, in Suffolk. The name is composed of the Old English elements "seolfor" meaning silver, and "thorn" meaning a thorny bush or tree.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mention a William de Sillverthorne. The name also appears in various medieval records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.

In the mid-16th century, a notable individual bearing this surname was John Silverthorn, a wealthy cloth merchant from London, who lived from around 1520 to 1585. He was involved in trade with the Low Countries and played a role in the establishment of the Merchant Adventurers' Company.

Another historical figure with the name Silverthorn was William Silverthorn, a Puritan minister who was born in 1619 in Lincolnshire. He emigrated to New England in the mid-1600s and served as a minister in various settlements, including Newbury, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, a family of Silverthorns resided in the county of Yorkshire, England. One member of this family, Robert Silverthorn, was a prominent landowner and justice of the peace, born in 1712 and died in 1786.

During the 19th century, the name Silverthorn gained some prominence in the United States. A notable individual was James Silverthorn, a lawyer and politician from New York, who was born in 1807 and served as a member of the New York State Assembly.

Another significant figure was Henry Silverthorn, a Canadian-born businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1825 to 1904. He made his fortune in the lumber industry and donated funds for the establishment of several educational institutions, including Silverthorn Collegiate Institute in Toronto.

These examples illustrate the presence of the surname Silverthorn throughout various periods and regions, highlighting its English origins and its association with notable individuals in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silverthorn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Silverthorn.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Silverthorn was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Silverthorn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Silverthorn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Silverthorn, please contact us.

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