This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Thirlaway family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Thirlaway Family History

Thirlaway Surname Meaning

From one or more unidentified places named with Old English þyrel ‘gap hollow’ + weg ‘way’ perhaps denoting a hollow or sunken lane. Saint John's Beck, a stream running into Thirlmere (Cumb), was referred to in 1589 as a Ryver called thirlway Water: Place-Names of Cumb p. 36.

Perhaps a local pronunciation of Thirlwall (Northumb; see Thirlwell) as suggested by a reference to Bartram Armstrong of Thurleway in an indictment dated 1597 in Northumb Archives, but this has not been confirmed.

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


Similar surnames

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Thirlaway family from?

You can see how Thirlaway families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thirlaway family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Thirlaway families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 104 Thirlaway families living in Durham. This was about 96% of all the recorded Thirlaway's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Thirlaway families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thirlaway surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Thirlaway ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Colliery Hewer Below and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Thirlaway. 50% of Thirlaway men worked as a Colliery Hewer Below and 86% of Thirlaway women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thirlaway were Steel Moulder and Household Duties Unpaid.

View Census Data for Thirlaway | 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

  • Colliery Hewer Below
    50%
  • Steel Moulder
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    86%
  • Incapacitated
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Household Duties Unpaid
    4%

What Thirlaway family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Thirlaway. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thirlaway census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thirlaway

Passenger Lists

There are 308 immigration records available for the last name Thirlaway. 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 Thirlaway immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 116 military records available for the last name Thirlaway. For the veterans among your Thirlaway ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thirlaway military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thirlaway family history

Discover More

What is the average Thirlaway lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2001, in the United States, Thirlaway life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Thirlaway in 1968 was 75, and 78 in 2001.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thirlaway 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Thirlaway family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial