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

Thurlow, 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 Thurlow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thurlow in America

Thurlow is the 13042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thurlow surname appeared 2,354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Thurlow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Thurlow 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 Thurlow

The surname THURLOW originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "þurru" meaning "dry" and "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound". It is believed to have been initially used as a topographic name for someone who lived on or near a dry hill or elevated ground.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Turlau" in Suffolk. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the late 12th century, the name was documented as "Thurlow" in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, indicating its association with the village of Thurlow in Suffolk. This village likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger de Thurlow, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1201. Another notable figure was John Thurlow, who served as a Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1382.

During the 16th century, the surname THURLOW gained prominence with Edward Thurlow (1531-1595), an English merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers. His grandson, Edward Thurlow (1616-1683), was a prominent lawyer and served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1778 to 1792.

Another significant individual with this surname was Thomas Thurlow (1737-1811), who served as Bishop of Lincoln from 1779 to 1787 and later as Bishop of Durham until his death in 1811.

In the literary world, Edward Hovel Thurlow (1781-1829) was an English poet and author, known for his works such as "The Wandering Jew" and "The Fairy Favour".

The THURLOW surname has also been associated with notable military figures, such as Sir Edward Thurlow (1814-1890), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thurlow

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

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

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

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