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

Thrasher, 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 Thrasher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thrasher in America

Thrasher is the 2807th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thrasher surname appeared 12,836 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Thrasher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thrasher 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 Thrasher

The surname Thrasher has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "þrescan," which means "to thresh" or "to beat." This occupation-based surname was initially given to individuals who worked as threshers, threshing grains by separating the edible parts from the inedible husks.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a "Johannes le Thressher." The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also reference a "Ricardus le Thressher."

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Thressher, Thressere, and Thressare, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Thrasher's Field in Middlesex and Thrasher's Close in Buckinghamshire.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Thrasher include Sir John Thrasher (c. 1535-1601), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire. Another notable figure was William Thrasher (1683-1743), a prominent Quaker preacher and writer from Pennsylvania.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence in Scotland, with records showing instances of the name in Aberdeen and Fife. One notable Scot was Alexander Thrasher (1670-1738), a merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of Glasgow.

During the 18th century, the Thrasher family established itself in Ireland, particularly in County Antrim and County Down. John Thrasher (1720-1805), an Irish farmer and landowner from County Antrim, was a prominent figure of his time.

As the surname spread across the British Isles, various branches emerged, each with their own distinct histories and notable individuals. One such individual was Edward Thrasher (1805-1879), an English-born American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and agricultural machinery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thrasher

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

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

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

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