2000
#2,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,535
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.65
Uncommon Last name
Thrasher
An occupational surname referring to a person who threshes grain, separating the seeds from the husks and stalks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,106 Americans carry the last name Thrasher. That puts it at #2,857 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,298 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thrasher 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thrasher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,298
Census rank
#2,857
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,301 bearers of the surname Thrasher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2857th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrasher, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thrasher
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrasher, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Thrasher 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 Thrasher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 9,963
- Black or African American9.6% · 1,181
- Two or more races4.2% · 520
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 438
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 130
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 69
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thrasher
Thrasher 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
#2,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,836
+301 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.35
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#2,857
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,301
-535 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 4.12
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,651 | 12,535 | 4.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,807 | 12,836 | 4.35 | +301 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #2,857 | 12,301 | 4.12 | -535 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 50 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 Thrasher 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 | #2,807 | #2,857 | -1.8% |
| Count | 12,836 | 12,301 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.35 | 4.12 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thrasher bearers went from 12,836 to 12,301 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,807 to #2,857.
FAQ
Thrasher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thrasher?
Name Census estimates that about 14,106 living Americans carry the surname Thrasher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,298 residents.
How common is Thrasher?
Thrasher ranks #2,857 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,301 people with the surname Thrasher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,106), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Thrasher.
Has Thrasher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thrasher went from 12,836 recorded bearers to 12,301. That is a decrease of 535 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,807 to #2,857.
What does the Census say about the background of Thrasher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrasher, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Thrasher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (9,963 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thrasher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Thrasher (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 Thrasher mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who threshes grain, separating the seeds from the husks and stalks. 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 Thrasher (4.12 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 are called Thrasher?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Thrasher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.