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

Thornock, 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 Thornock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thornock in America

Thornock is the 26229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thornock surname appeared 932 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 Thornock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thornock 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 Thornock

The surname Thornock has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Thornock or Thornake in Lancashire or Yorkshire. The name likely originated from the Old English words "thorn" meaning a thorny bush or tree, and "ac" meaning an oak tree. This suggests that the name may have referred to a place where thorny bushes or trees grew near oak trees.

The earliest known record of the surname Thornock is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, where it is listed as Thornhok. Another early spelling variation is Thornhoke, which appears in the Court Rolls of Wigan in 1376. These early records provide evidence of the surname's existence and its connection to the northern counties of England.

In the 14th century, the surname Thornock appears in the Wills of Yorkshire, where a Robert de Thornhoke is mentioned in 1351. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region during this period.

One notable person with the surname Thornock was John Thornock, a merchant who lived in London in the late 16th century. Records show that he was involved in the city's thriving trade and commerce during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was William Thornock, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Yorkshire in 1622 and later became a fellow at St. John's College, Cambridge. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, a man named James Thornock made a significant contribution to the field of horticulture. He was born in Lancashire in 1720 and is credited with developing several new varieties of apple trees. His work helped improve the quality and diversity of fruit cultivation in England.

The 19th century saw the emergence of a notable artist named Thomas Thornock. He was born in Yorkshire in 1811 and became known for his landscape paintings, which depicted the beautiful scenery of the English countryside.

Finally, in the early 20th century, a man named Henry Thornock gained recognition as a military officer during World War I. He was born in Lancashire in 1888 and served with distinction in the British Army, earning several honors for his bravery and leadership.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thornock

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

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

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

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