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

Thistle, 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 Thistle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thistle in America

Thistle is the 24762nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thistle surname appeared 1,006 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 Thistle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thistle 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 Thistle

The surname Thistle originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records of the name dating back to the 14th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Thistle, a small village near Dundee. The word "thistle" itself comes from the Old English word "thistel," referring to the prickly purple plant that is the national emblem of Scotland.

During the reign of King Alexander III in the 13th century, a legendary tale emerged about the Scottish thistle. It is said that a Viking raider, attempting a night attack on a Scottish camp, stepped on a thistle and cried out in pain, alerting the Scottish warriors and allowing them to defend themselves successfully. This story popularized the thistle as a symbol of Scottish bravery and resilience.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Thistle was John Thistle, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1378. In the 15th century, a family by the name of Thistle owned lands near the village of Thistle, which may have contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in that area.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Thistle was William Thistle (c. 1520-1588), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Caithness. He was known for his involvement in the Scottish Reformation and his efforts to promote Protestant reforms in the Scottish Church.

Another prominent individual with the surname Thistle was Robert Thistle (1685-1758), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic development of Edinburgh. He was a member of the Town Council and helped establish several important trade routes and industries in the city.

During the 18th century, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as Thistlethwaite and Thistlewood appearing in historical records. One notable figure from this period was Matthew Thistlewood (1738-1795), a British soldier and adventurer who served in the East India Company and later became involved in political intrigues in France.

In the 19th century, James Thistle (1812-1884) was a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and agricultural machinery. He held several patents and was recognized for his innovative designs and improvements to existing technologies.

Throughout history, the surname Thistle has been associated with Scotland and its rich cultural heritage, reflecting the resilience and strength symbolized by the thistle plant. While the name may have evolved in spelling and geographical distribution over time, it remains deeply rooted in Scottish tradition and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thistle

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!