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Thirkell Family History

Thirkell Surname Meaning

Metathesized variant of Threlkeld. Sir Lancelot Thirkel is named as the late lord of Thrikeld (Threlkeld Cumb) 1505-15 in TNA. Compare Thomas Thirkell 1624, Thomasine Threlkeld 1673 in IGI (Brancepeth Durham); John Thirkeld 1741, Dorothy Threlkeld 1755 in IGI (Morpeth Northumb); John Threlkeld 1776, James Thirkell 1822 in IGI (Kirkby Fleetham NR Yorks).

Some of the early bearers listed below could, however, belong with (2). The two surnames may have co-existed in ER Yorks and been confused with each other after Sir Lancelot Threlkelde alias Thirkel acquired property in Londesbrough in about 147 from the Middle English personal name T(h)urkill, T(h)urkild, T(h)irkill (Old Scandinavian Þorkell, Old Danish Thorkil, Thurkil, a contracted form of Þorketill from the god's name Þórr ‘Thor’ + ketill ‘kettle, cauldron’).

Compare Thirkettle. Spellings with initial T- instead of Th- reflect Anglo-Norman French pronunciation. It is uncertain that the medieval NR Yorks and ER Yorks surname survived into the modern period.

If so, it will have been confused with the name in (2).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Thirkell family from?

You can see how Thirkell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thirkell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thirkell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 67 Thirkell families living in Yorkshire. This was about 39% of all the recorded Thirkell's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Thirkell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thirkell 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 Thirkell ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thirkell. 22% of Thirkell men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Thirkell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thirkell were Farmer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Thirkell | 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

  • General Labourer
    22%
  • Builders Labourer
    13%
  • Incapacitated
    13%
  • Farmer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    5%
  • None
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Thirkell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name Thirkell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thirkell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thirkell

Passenger Lists

There are 900 immigration records available for the last name Thirkell. 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 Thirkell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 564 military records available for the last name Thirkell. For the veterans among your Thirkell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thirkell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thirkell family history

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What is the average Thirkell lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Thirkell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Thirkell in 1958 was 49, and 94 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thirkell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thirkell 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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