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

Thornley, 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 Thornley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thornley in America

Thornley is the 16624th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thornley surname appeared 1,725 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Thornley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thornley 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 Thornley

The surname Thornley has its roots in England, likely originating during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from one of the many places named Thornley, which can be found in various counties such as Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.

The name Thornley is thought to come from the Old English words "thorn" meaning a thorny bush or bramble, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a clearing or meadow where thorn bushes grew.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Thornley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire, dating back to 1195, where a person named William de Thornley is mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1208, referring to a certain Robertus de Thornelea.

In the 13th century, the surname Thornley appears in various forms, such as Thorneleye, Thorneley, and Thornley, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. One notable example is Roger de Thornley, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1285.

During the 16th century, the surname Thornley became more firmly established, and several individuals bearing this name are documented in historical records. One such person was John Thornley, who was born in Lancashire around 1540 and served as a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable individual with the surname Thornley was Samuel Thornley, a English clergyman and author who lived from 1619 to 1695. He is known for his work "A Discourse on the Great Duty of Qviet Resignation," published in 1670.

In the 18th century, Thornley remained a prominent surname, particularly in the northern counties of England. One example is William Thornley, born in 1725, who was a renowned architect and surveyor responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Manchester and Liverpool.

Moving into the 19th century, the surname Thornley continued to be represented in various fields. Thomas Thornley, born in 1830, was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of agricultural machinery, including the design of a successful reaping machine.

Throughout its history, the surname Thornley has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, architects, engineers, and government officials. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has endured and spread across the world, a testament to its rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thornley

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

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

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

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