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

Silverthorne, 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 Silverthorne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Silverthorne in America

Silverthorne is the 37792nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Silverthorne surname appeared 588 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 Silverthorne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Silverthorne 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 Silverthorne

The surname Silverthorne has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "seolfor" meaning silver and "thorn" referring to a thorny bush or tree, likely indicating that the name's bearer resided near a silvery-colored thorn bush.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1186, where it is spelled "Siluerthorne". This entry suggests that the name may have originated in the Yorkshire region.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Silverthorn", "Silverthorne", and "Silverthorn". These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in spelling conventions at the time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Sir William Silverthorne, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was born in 1265 and died in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Another significant individual was John Silverthorne, a prominent merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived between 1420 and 1492. Historical records indicate that he owned substantial properties in the villages of Grantham and Stamford.

During the Tudor period, the name Silverthorne was associated with several noble families. One such example is Richard Silverthorne, born in 1538, who served as a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I and was granted lands in Wiltshire.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parish records across England, including those of Gloucestershire and Somerset. Notable individuals from this time include Thomas Silverthorne, a renowned clockmaker born in 1645 in Bristol, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry.

Another notable figure was Mary Silverthorne, born in 1678 in Oxfordshire, who became a prominent figure in the early Quaker movement and traveled extensively as a preacher, advocating for religious tolerance and social reform.

As the centuries progressed, the Silverthorne name continued to be found throughout England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Silverthorne

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

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 Silverthorne 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 Silverthorne 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 Silverthorne was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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