2000
#12,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Thurlow
From the Old English words for "thorn" and "hill," referring to someone who lived on or near a thorny hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,539 Americans carry the last name Thurlow. That puts it at #13,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thurlow 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 Thurlow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,996
Census rank
#13,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,214 bearers of the surname Thurlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thurlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Thurlow 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 Thurlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,062
- Two or more races2.8% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thurlow
Thurlow 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
#13,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,354
+38 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 731 places
2020
#13,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,214
-140 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,311 | 2,316 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,042 | 2,354 | 0.80 | +38 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 731 places |
| 2020 | #13,216 | 2,214 | 0.74 | -140 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 174 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 Thurlow 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 | #13,042 | #13,216 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,354 | 2,214 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.74 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thurlow bearers went from 2,354 to 2,214 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 174 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,042 to #13,216.
FAQ
Thurlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thurlow?
Name Census estimates that about 2,539 living Americans carry the surname Thurlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,996 residents.
How common is Thurlow?
Thurlow ranks #13,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,214 people with the surname Thurlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Thurlow.
Has Thurlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thurlow went from 2,354 recorded bearers to 2,214. That is a decrease of 140 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,042 to #13,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Thurlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Thurlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,062 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thurlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Thurlow (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 Thurlow mean?
From the Old English words for "thorn" and "hill," referring to someone who lived on or near a thorny hill. 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 Thurlow (0.74 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 common is the surname Thurlow?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Thurlow at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.