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Origins of the Thornton surname

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What does the name Thornton mean?

The Thornton surname is English. It is believed to be geographical, and refer to someone who lived on or near a place of the same name. There are an abundance of Thorntons across England, and at least three in Yorkshire alone, which may go some way to explain why the name is particularly prevalent in that area of the country.

Alternative variations of the name Thornton

Thornton, Thorntone, Thorndon, Tornton, Thornten

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Where do most Thorntons live?

In 1921, most Thorntons lived in Yorkshire.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Thorntons

How common is your surname?

241st most common surname in the UK

We have 147,000 records for the Thornton surname. The oldest one dates back to 1086.

Who were Thorntons most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Johnsons

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Thorntons.

What are the most common Thornton first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Thornton family members

Common jobs for Thorntons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Thorntons in 1921
Dressmaker

569

Cotton Weaver

504

Domestic Servant

281

Living On Own Means

280

Worsted Weaver

252

Common Male occupations for Thorntons in 1921
Coal Miner

660

General Labourer

411

Agricultural Labourer

397

Tailor

363

Farmer

318

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 140,000 family trees with the Thornton surname

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