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

Thistlethwaite, 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 Thistlethwaite surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thistlethwaite in America

Thistlethwaite is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thistlethwaite surname appeared 310 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 Thistlethwaite.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thistlethwaite 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 Thistlethwaite

The surname Thistlethwaite is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the old English words "thistel" meaning thistle and "thwaite" meaning a clearing or meadow. The name therefore refers to someone who lived near a thistle meadow or clearing.

Early recordings of the name can be found in the 13th century tax rolls of Yorkshire, where it was spelled as Thistilthwayt and Thistelthwayte. The name is also recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, indicating its long history in that region of northern England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Thistlethwayte, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1308. The Feet of Fines were records of land transfers and legal agreements from medieval times.

By the 16th century, the spelling had evolved closer to the modern form, with variations like Thistlethwaite and Thistlethwait appearing in parish records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. Notable early bearers include William Thistlethwaite, christened in 1587 in Giggleswick, Yorkshire, and Edmond Thistlethwaite, who was born around 1600 in Bury, Lancashire.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be concentrated in the north of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable bearer from this period was Samuel Thistlethwaite (1608-1668), a English clergyman who served as the Vicar of Birstall in Yorkshire.

As the name spread over the centuries, it also found its way into other parts of Britain. In the 18th century, Michael Thistlethwaite (1751-1827) was a respected physician and author who practiced in London and wrote on medical topics.

By the 19th century, the Thistlethwaite surname had become more widespread across Britain, though still with a concentration in northern England. John Thistlethwaite (1824-1900) was a prominent businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Bradford, while Charles Thistlethwaite (1847-1910) was an English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thistlethwaite

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

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

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

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