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

Thorn, 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 Thorn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thorn in America

Thorn is the 3569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thorn surname appeared 9,988 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 Thorn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thorn 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 Thorn

The surname Thorn originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "thorn," meaning a thorny bush or shrub. The name was likely given to someone who lived near or was associated with a particularly thorny area.

In medieval times, the Thorn family was concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mentions a William del Thorn.

The Thorn surname can also be traced back to place names like Thornton, which means "village with thorns." Many early bearers of the name likely adopted it from the towns or villages they were from, such as Thornton in Yorkshire or Thornton in Buckinghamshire.

The Domesday Book of 1086 contains a few possible references to the Thorn name, including a landowner named Torne in Gloucestershire and a place called Tornestone in Staffordshire.

Notable historical figures with the Thorn surname include William Thorn (c. 1397-1459), a Benedictine monk and chronicler from Canterbury, and John Thorn (c. 1520-1573), a Catholic martyr who was executed during the Reformation.

In the 16th century, a prominent Thorn family lived in Shelvock, Shropshire. One member, Roger Thorn (1521-1594), was a wealthy landowner and served as Sheriff of Shropshire in 1574.

Another notable figure was Robert Thorn (1701-1781), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Commentary on the Book of Job."

During the 18th century, the Thorn family had a strong presence in Yorkshire, particularly around the town of Wakefield. One member, Joseph Thorn (1723-1793), was a successful merchant and landowner in the area.

In more recent history, the writer and journalist Gail Thorne (1939-2011) became known for her books on parenting and family life, while Larry Thorn (1945-2018) was a professional basketball player who played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics and Chicago Bulls.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thorn

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

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

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

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