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

Thorne, 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 Thorne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thorne in America

Thorne is the 1922nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thorne surname appeared 18,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Thorne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thorne 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 Thorne

The surname Thorne originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places called Thorne, such as those found in Worcestershire, Somerset, and Yorkshire. The name is thought to have been derived from the Old English word "thorn," referring to the thorny plant or bush.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Thorne can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which listed several individuals bearing the name in various counties across England. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the surname Thorne appeared in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Willelmus de Thorn was listed in Oxfordshire. The surname also appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which recorded a John de Thorne in Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the surname Thorne continued to be documented in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which listed individuals with the surname in counties like Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

One notable bearer of the surname Thorne was William Thorne, a 15th-century English chronicler and monk of the Benedictine order, who was born around 1397 and died in 1459. He authored a historical work titled "Chronica de Rebus Gestis Abbatum Monasterii Sancti Augustini Cantuariensis."

Another prominent figure with the surname Thorne was Robert Thorne, an English merchant and explorer from the 16th century. He was born around 1492 and played a significant role in promoting the exploration of the Northwest Passage, which led to the voyages of John Cabot to North America.

In the 17th century, the surname Thorne was found in various parish records across England. One notable bearer was Richard Thorne, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who was born in 1633 and died in 1700. He wrote several theological works, including "A Discourse on Christian Union" and "A Dialogue Between a Modern Courtier and an Honest Englishman."

During the 18th century, the surname Thorne continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Joseph Thorne, an English artist and engraver who was born in 1768 and died in 1828. He was known for his illustrations of various botanical works and his engravings of landscapes.

In the 19th century, the surname Thorne was borne by several prominent figures, including Robert Thorne, an English botanist and mycologist who was born in 1837 and died in 1920. He made significant contributions to the study of fungi and published works like "The Principal Species of British Agarics."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thorne

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

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

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

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