2000
#7,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Thurber
Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's fort" or "Thor's village" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,624 Americans carry the last name Thurber. That puts it at #7,898 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thurber 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
4.6K
1 in 74,125
Census rank
#7,898
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,032 bearers of the surname Thurber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7898th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurber, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thurber
The surname Thurber has its roots in the Old English language and is derived from the word "thur," which means "cross." The name is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, possibly as early as the 7th century AD.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Thurburc" and "Thurbern." These entries suggest that the name was initially associated with people who lived near a cross or a crossing point, such as a river or road intersection.
During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Thurber, Thurbare, Thurburgh, and Thurbarne. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William Thurber, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire in 1201. Another notable individual was John Thurber, a prominent merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Thurber was found in various parts of England, including Shropshire, Warwickshire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Thurber, a clergyman and author who lived from 1532 to 1597.
The surname Thurber has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Thurber's Green in Warwickshire and Thurber's Hill in Somerset. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Thurber surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
Among the more famous individuals with the surname Thurber are James Thurber (1894-1961), an American cartoonist, author, and humorist, known for his contributions to The New Yorker magazine and his books such as "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Another notable figure is Jonathan Thurber (1719-1801), an American Revolutionary War soldier and one of the founders of Burrillville, Rhode Island.
Other bearers of the Thurber surname include Henry Thurber (1786-1849), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Thurber Medical Association in New York City, and Charles Thurber (1823-1906), an American businessman and inventor who developed the first practical typewriter ribbon.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thurber
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurber, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Thurber 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 Thurber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 3,683
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 151
- Two or more races3.2% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thurber
Thurber 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
#7,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,232
+143 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#7,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,032
-200 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,509 | 4,089 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,825 | 4,232 | 1.43 | +143 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #7,898 | 4,032 | 1.35 | -200 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 73 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 Thurber 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 | #7,825 | #7,898 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,232 | 4,032 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.35 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thurber bearers went from 4,232 to 4,032 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,825 to #7,898.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thurber
FAQ
Thurber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thurber?
Name Census estimates that about 4,624 living Americans carry the surname Thurber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,125 residents.
How common is Thurber?
Thurber ranks #7,898 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 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 4,032 people with the surname Thurber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,624), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 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 Thurber.
Has Thurber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thurber went from 4,232 recorded bearers to 4,032. That is a decrease of 200 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,825 to #7,898.
What does the Census say about the background of Thurber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurber, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Thurber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (3,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thurber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Thurber (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 Thurber mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's fort" or "Thor's village" in Old English. 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 Thurber (1.35 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 share the surname Thurber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.