2000
#14,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Thornsberry
An English locational surname derived from a place where thorn bushes or berries were abundant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,243 Americans carry the last name Thornsberry. That puts it at #14,615 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,811 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thornsberry 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.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 152,811
Census rank
#14,615
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,956 bearers of the surname Thornsberry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14615th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornsberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thornsberry
The surname Thornsberry is believed to have originated in England during the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "thorn" and "bury," which together mean "a place of thorn bushes." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a thorny area or a settlement surrounded by thorn bushes.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Thornsberry dates back to the 14th century. It appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. This early reference provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period.
In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Thornsbury" or "Thornsbery," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time. These variations were common before the standardization of English spelling.
Several notable individuals with the surname Thornsberry have been recorded throughout history. One such person was John Thornsberry, a landowner and farmer who lived in Shropshire, England, in the late 16th century (c. 1560-1625).
Another notable figure was William Thornsberry, a soldier who fought in the English Civil War during the mid-17th century (c. 1620-1680). He is mentioned in historical records for his bravery in battle and his loyalty to the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Thornsberry (1725-1798) gained some recognition as a skilled blacksmith and metalworker in the village of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. His work was highly regarded for its quality and craftsmanship.
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Thornsberry (1810-1892) was a prominent figure in the early women's suffrage movement in England. She advocated for women's rights and was a vocal supporter of educational opportunities for girls and women.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Edward Thornsberry (1885-1962) was a respected academic and historian who specialized in medieval English literature. He authored several books and articles on the subject and taught at Oxford University for many years.
While the surname Thornsberry may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it likely referred to a person living in or near a thorny area or settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thornsberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornsberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Thornsberry 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 Thornsberry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,796
- Two or more races3.8% · 75
- Black or African American1.7% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thornsberry
Thornsberry 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
#15,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,953
-17 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,066 places
2020
#14,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,956
+3 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 489 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,038 | 1,970 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,104 | 1,953 | 0.66 | -17 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,066 places |
| 2020 | #14,615 | 1,956 | 0.65 | +3 bearers (+0.2%) | Up 489 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 Thornsberry 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 | #15,104 | #14,615 | 3.2% |
| Count | 1,953 | 1,956 | 0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.65 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thornsberry bearers went from 1,953 to 1,956 (+0.2% change). The surname moved up 489 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,104 to #14,615.
FAQ
Thornsberry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thornsberry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,243 living Americans carry the surname Thornsberry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,811 residents.
How common is Thornsberry?
Thornsberry ranks #14,615 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,956 people with the surname Thornsberry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,243), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Thornsberry.
Has Thornsberry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thornsberry went from 1,953 recorded bearers to 1,956. That is an increase of 3 (+0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,104 to #14,615.
What does the Census say about the background of Thornsberry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornsberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Thornsberry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,796 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thornsberry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (1.7%). 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 Thornsberry (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 Thornsberry mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place where thorn bushes or berries were abundant. 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 Thornsberry (0.65 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 have the surname Thornsberry?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.