2000
#48,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Thaw
A surname derived from the Old English word "þawian," meaning to thaw or melt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,353 Americans carry the last name Thaw. That puts it at #22,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 253,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thaw surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 253,329
Census rank
#22,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,180 bearers of the surname Thaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thaw, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thaw
The surname THAW is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "þawian," which means "to thaw" or "to melt." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a thawing river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name THAW can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273. This ancient document mentions a person named Roger Thawe, indicating the presence of the surname in the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name THAW appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a certain Walter Thawe was listed as a taxpayer. This record provides further evidence of the name's existence during the Middle Ages.
The THAW surname may also be linked to various place names in England, such as Thawfield in Lincolnshire or Thawe in Cheshire. These place names could have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
One notable individual from history who bore the surname THAW was John Thaw (1942-2002), a renowned English actor best known for his roles in popular television series like "Inspector Morse" and "The Sweeney."
Another significant figure was Sir William Muir Thaw (1834-1917), a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who made his fortune in the coal and coke industry in Pennsylvania. He was also a prominent art collector and patron of the arts.
In the literary world, the American novelist and short story writer Jack Thaw (1924-2002) gained recognition for his works, including the novel "The Green Light" and the short story collection "Staying Up Much Too Late."
The English cricketer and footballer Arthur Thaw (1871-1949) also carried the THAW surname. He played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and represented England in a single Test match against Australia in 1899.
Lastly, Sir William Thaw (1819-1889) was a Scottish merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituencies of Falkirk Burghs and Falkirk District between 1865 and 1885.
While the THAW surname may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Thaw, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Thaw bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Thaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander68.4% · 807
- White23.5% · 277
- Black or African American3.5% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 32
- Two or more races1.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thaw
Thaw appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#35,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 638
+228 bearers (+55.6%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 13,086 places
2020
#22,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,180
+542 bearers (+85.0%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 12,934 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,380 | 410 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,294 | 638 | 0.22 | +228 bearers (+55.6%) | Up 13,086 places |
| 2020 | #22,360 | 1,180 | 0.39 | +542 bearers (+85.0%) | Up 12,934 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Thaw surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,294 | #22,360 | 36.6% |
| Count | 638 | 1,180 | 85.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.39 | 79.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thaw bearers went from 638 to 1,180 (+85.0% change). The surname moved up 12,934 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,294 to #22,360.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thaw
FAQ
Thaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thaw?
Name Census estimates that about 1,353 living Americans carry the surname Thaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 253,329 residents.
How common is Thaw?
Thaw ranks #22,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,180 people with the surname Thaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Thaw.
Has Thaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thaw went from 638 recorded bearers to 1,180. That is an increase of 542 (+85.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,294 to #22,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Thaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thaw, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (23.5%) and Black (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (807 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (68.4%), White (23.5%), Black (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Thaw (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Thaw mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "þawian," meaning to thaw or melt. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Thaw (0.39 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Thaw?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.