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

Thornwell, 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 Thornwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thornwell in America

Thornwell is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thornwell surname appeared 135 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 Thornwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thornwell 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 Thornwell

The surname Thornwell originates from England, tracing its roots back to the medieval period, specifically the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "þorn" meaning thorn and "well" referring to a spring or stream. This combination suggests that the name was likely associated with a location or place where thorny bushes grew near a well or water source.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Thornwell surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. The entry mentions a John de Thornwelle, indicating the surname was already in use during that time.

Historical records also indicate that the Thornwell name appeared in various Lancashire manorial records from the 14th century onwards, suggesting the family may have had connections to that region. In the late 16th century, the surname was also found in the parish registers of Kendal, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria).

Notable individuals bearing the Thornwell surname include Sir Stephen Thornwell (1575-1647), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I. Another noteworthy figure is James Thornwell (1812-1862), an American Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the president of the South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Thornwell surname in America can be traced back to William Thornwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, including South Carolina.

Other prominent individuals with the Thornwell surname include Edward Thornwell (1786-1863), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from South Carolina, and Robert Woodrow Thornwell (1851-1907), an American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the president of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina.

While the Thornwell name may have originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of early Thornwell immigrants have established themselves over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thornwell

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

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

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

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