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Thornborough Family History

Thornborough Surname Meaning

from any of various places including Thornborough in Allerton Mauleverer (WR Yorks) Thornbrough in South Kilvington (NR Yorks) Thornbrough in Corbridge (Northumb) and Thornborough (Bucks). The WR Yorks and Northumb place-names derive from Old English þorn ‘thorn’ + burh ‘fortress’ or ‘manor’. The NR Yorks and Bucks place-names derive from Old English þorn + beorg ‘hill mound’ and would naturally also develop Middle English forms in -berry so it is unsurprising that the derived surname also developed to Thornberry or Thornbury as illustrated by Ellen Thornberry 1711 Geo. Thornbury 1726 in IGI (Bedale NR Yorks) and Robert Thornberry 1747 Ann Thornborough 1769 in IGI (Howden ER Yorks).

Some of the bearers below from NW England may belong with (2). in NW England sometimes a variant of Thornber as illustrated by Elizabeth Thornber 1767 Alice Thornborough 1802 in IGI (Brough Westm). adopted for various Irish names containing an element meaning ‘thorn’; compare Thornton.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Thornborough family from?

You can see how Thornborough families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thornborough family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thornborough families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 32 Thornborough families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Thornborough's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Thornborough families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thornborough surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Thornborough ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Glass Sorter (bottles) and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thornborough. 100% of Thornborough men worked as a Glass Sorter (bottles) and 82% of Thornborough women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Thornborough | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Glass Sorter (bottles)
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Gown Machinist
    4%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Thornborough family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Thornborough. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thornborough census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thornborough

Passenger Lists

There are 472 immigration records available for the last name Thornborough. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Thornborough immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 308 military records available for the last name Thornborough. For the veterans among your Thornborough ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thornborough military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thornborough family history

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What is the average Thornborough lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2003, in the United States, Thornborough life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Thornborough in 1963 was 85, and 90 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thornborough

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thornborough ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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