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

Thatcher, 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 Thatcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thatcher in America

Thatcher is the 3644th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thatcher surname appeared 9,752 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Thatcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thatcher 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 Thatcher

The surname Thatcher originated in England during the medieval period. It derived from the Old English word 'thaeccere', meaning a roofer or thatcher, referring to someone who thatched roofs with straw or reed. The name was especially common in the southern counties of England, particularly in rural areas where thatched roofs were prevalent.

The earliest known record of the surname Thatcher dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals during that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Thatcher was found in various spellings, such as 'le Thaccher', 'Thaccher', and 'Thachare', reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and their properties.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Thatcher was Thomas Thatcher, a member of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in London, who lived around 1400. Another notable figure was Richard Thatcher, a merchant from Bristol who served as the city's mayor in 1507.

During the Tudor period, the Thatcher surname gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Thatcher in 1512. He was a renowned Protestant minister and one of the first Puritans in England. His son, Thomas Thatcher Jr., born in 1620, was a key figure in the early settlement of New England, serving as the first pastor of the Old South Church in Boston.

In the 17th century, the name Thatcher appeared in various historical records, including the Hearth Tax returns of 1665 and the Protestation Returns of 1642. These documents provide valuable insights into the distribution and occupations of Thatcher families across England.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Thatcher was Margaret Thatcher, born in 1925. She served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. Her tenure was marked by significant economic reforms and her unwavering leadership during the Falklands War.

Other notable individuals with the Thatcher surname include Benjamin Thatcher, an American poet and journalist born in 1809, and Oliver Thatcher, an American architect and engineer born in 1857, who designed several notable buildings in Chicago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thatcher

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

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

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

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