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Thorns Family History

Thorns Surname Meaning

North German (Lower Saxony): variant of Thorn. English (Sussex, Yorkshire and Staffordshire): variant of Thorne with plural or post-medieval excrescent -s.

There are various minor places called Thorns or Thornes including Thornes in Wakefield (Yorkshire) and Thornes in Stonnall (Staffordshire) which appear to be principal sources of the surname.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Thorns family from?

You can see how Thorns families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thorns family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thorns families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 73 Thorns families living in Sussex. This was about 27% of all the recorded Thorns's in United Kingdom. Sussex had the highest population of Thorns families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thorns 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 Thorns ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Methodist Minister and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thorns. 25% of Thorns men worked as a Methodist Minister and 65% of Thorns women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thorns were Colliery Hewer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Thorns | 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

  • Methodist Minister
    25%
  • Incapacitated
    25%
  • General Labourer
    25%
  • Colliery Hewer
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    7%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%

What Thorns family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Thorns. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thorns census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thorns

Passenger Lists

There are 669 immigration records available for the last name Thorns. 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 Thorns immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 750 military records available for the last name Thorns. For the veterans among your Thorns ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thorns military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thorns family history

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What is the average Thorns lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Thorns life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Thorns in 1956 was 42, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thorns

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thorns 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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