Thornton Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Thornton Name Meaning: An English name for a dwelling surrounded by a thorn hedge/bush.

A name given to someone who lived in a thorn hedge/bush settlement or who was named after a place named 'Thornton'.

Discover how your Thornton ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Thornton Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Thornton family

Profession Census Frequency
School 1,579
Cotton Weaver 174
Private Means 135
Farm Labourer 105
Coal Miner Hewer 98
Weaver 92
Labourer 84
General Labourer 82
Dressmaker 73
General Servant (domestic) 72
None 67
Clerk 66
Housekeeper 60
At Home 53
Domestic Servant 49
Farmer 49
House Keeper 45
Joiner 44
Shop Assistant 43
Bricklayer 42
House Painter 40
At School 36
Weaver Cotton 35
Assisting In Business 33
Scholar 33

Thornton Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Thornton 100% 95,721
2 Thronton 75% 1,139

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The surname Thornton is the most popular version of all its varients

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