2000
#1,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.75
Uncommon Last name
Thorne
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a thorn bush or hedge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,752 Americans carry the last name Thorne. That puts it at #1,946 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thorne 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 Thorne with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,517
Census rank
#1,946
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,097 bearers of the surname Thorne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1946th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thorne, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thorne
Among Census respondents with the surname Thorne, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Thorne 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 Thorne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.0% · 13,218
- Black or African American16.9% · 3,062
- Two or more races4.6% · 837
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 712
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 150
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thorne
Thorne 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
#1,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,738
+516 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 6.35
Rank movement Down 110 places
2020
#1,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,097
-641 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 6.05
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,812 | 18,222 | 6.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,922 | 18,738 | 6.35 | +516 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 110 places |
| 2020 | #1,946 | 18,097 | 6.05 | -641 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 24 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 Thorne 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 | #1,922 | #1,946 | -1.2% |
| Count | 18,738 | 18,097 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.35 | 6.05 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thorne bearers went from 18,738 to 18,097 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,922 to #1,946.
FAQ
Thorne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thorne?
Name Census estimates that about 20,752 living Americans carry the surname Thorne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,517 residents.
How common is Thorne?
Thorne ranks #1,946 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,097 people with the surname Thorne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,752), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Thorne.
Has Thorne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thorne went from 18,738 recorded bearers to 18,097. That is a decrease of 641 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,922 to #1,946.
What does the Census say about the background of Thorne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thorne, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thorne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.0% (13,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thorne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.0%), Black (16.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Thorne (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 Thorne mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone who lived near a thorn bush or hedge. 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 Thorne (6.05 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 people share the surname Thorne?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.