2000
#1,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.36
Uncommon Last name
Thurman
Derived from the Old Norse personal name Þormundr, composed of the elements þórr, meaning "thunder," and mund, meaning "protection."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,502 Americans carry the last name Thurman. That puts it at #1,575 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thurman 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 Thurman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,440
Census rank
#1,575
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,239 bearers of the surname Thurman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1575th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurman, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thurman
The surname Thurman has its origins in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "þunor" (meaning "thunder") and "mann" (meaning "man"), suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly loud or boisterous.
Historical records indicate that the Thurman name was predominantly found in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it was often associated with landowners and farmers. One notable early reference can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a "Thurmannus de Bingley."
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Thurman surname. However, it does include entries for places like Thurmanby and Thurmundesbi, which may have influenced the development of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Thurman surname was Sir Roger Thurman, a knight who lived in the 13th century and was involved in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III. Another notable Thurman was John Thurman, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Thurman name became more widespread across England, with several individuals bearing the surname making their mark in various fields. For instance, William Thurman (1557-1622) was a prominent Puritan clergyman and author, known for his published sermons and theological writings.
In the 18th century, the Thurman family produced several notable figures, including Edward Thurman (1707-1775), a successful businessman and landowner in Lincolnshire, and John Thurman (1733-1810), a renowned architect who designed several churches and country houses in the Georgian style.
As the British Empire expanded, the Thurman name also found its way to other parts of the world. One example is Sir Edward Thurman (1810-1888), a British colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces in India during the latter part of the 19th century.
While the Thurman surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Thurmand, Thurmon, and Thurmond, its origins can be traced back to the Old English words that reflect the powerful and thunderous nature associated with the name's earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thurman
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurman, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Thurman 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 Thurman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.0% · 15,118
- Black or African American22.8% · 5,080
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,005
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 759
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 170
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thurman
Thurman 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
#1,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,950
+1,386 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 8.12
Rank movement Down 42 places
2020
#1,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,239
-1,711 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 7.44
Rank movement Down 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,450 | 22,564 | 8.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,492 | 23,950 | 8.12 | +1,386 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 42 places |
| 2020 | #1,575 | 22,239 | 7.44 | -1,711 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 83 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 Thurman 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 | #1,492 | #1,575 | -5.6% |
| Count | 23,950 | 22,239 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 8.12 | 7.44 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thurman bearers went from 23,950 to 22,239 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,492 to #1,575.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Thurman
FAQ
Thurman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thurman?
Name Census estimates that about 25,502 living Americans carry the surname Thurman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,440 residents.
How common is Thurman?
Thurman ranks #1,575 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,239 people with the surname Thurman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Thurman.
Has Thurman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thurman went from 23,950 recorded bearers to 22,239. That is a decrease of 1,711 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,492 to #1,575.
What does the Census say about the background of Thurman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurman, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Thurman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.0% (15,118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thurman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.0%), Black (22.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Thurman (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 Thurman mean?
Derived from the Old Norse personal name Þormundr, composed of the elements þórr, meaning "thunder," and mund, meaning "protection." 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 Thurman (7.44 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 Thurman?
Find out how many people are called Thurman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.