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

Thundercloud, 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 Thundercloud surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thundercloud in America

Thundercloud is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thundercloud surname appeared 133 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 Thundercloud.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thundercloud 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 Thundercloud

The surname Thundercloud has its origins in the Native American cultures of North America, particularly among the tribes of the Great Plains region. It is believed to have first emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century as a descriptive name or a literal translation of a tribal name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of explorers and ethnographers who documented their encounters with various Native American tribes. Some of these accounts mention individuals or leaders who were referred to as "Thundercloud" or variations of this name.

While the exact etymology is uncertain, it is likely that the name derived from the native languages spoken by these tribes, such as Lakota, Cheyenne, or Arapaho. It may have been a translation of a name that described a person's physical appearance, personality traits, or perhaps a significant event or achievement associated with thunderstorms or clouds.

In the 19th century, as Native American tribes were forcibly relocated to reservations, the use of the surname Thundercloud became more widespread. It was adopted by families and individuals as a permanent surname, often replacing or complementing their traditional tribal names.

One notable individual with the surname Thundercloud was Chief Thundercloud, a respected leader of the Lakota Sioux tribe in the late 19th century. He was born around 1835 and played a significant role in negotiating treaties and advocating for the rights of his people during a period of immense upheaval and conflict.

Another prominent figure was Michael Thundercloud, a Native American activist and musician born in 1940 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He was involved in the American Indian Movement and worked tirelessly to raise awareness about Native American issues through his music and activism.

In the realm of literature, Linda Hogan, a Chickasaw novelist and environmentalist born in 1947, wrote several acclaimed works exploring the themes of Native American identity, spirituality, and the connection to the natural world. Her novel "Mean Spirit" features a character named Thundercloud.

Historically, the surname Thundercloud has been associated with various Native American tribes and individuals who played pivotal roles in their communities and in shaping the course of Native American history and cultural preservation.

Today, the name Thundercloud continues to be a source of pride and identity for many Native American families, serving as a reminder of their rich cultural heritage and the enduring spirit of their ancestors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thundercloud

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

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

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

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