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Thorburn Family History

Thorburn Surname Meaning

English: from a northern Middle English personal name T(h)orbern T(h)urbern Old Norse Thórbjörn composed of the elements Thórr (see Thor) + björn ‘bear warrior’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Thorburn family from?

You can see how Thorburn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thorburn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thorburn families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 121 Thorburn families living in Lancashire. This was about 19% of all the recorded Thorburn's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Thorburn families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thorburn 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 Thorburn 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 Thorburn. 19% of Thorburn men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Thorburn women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thorburn were Marine Insurance Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Thorburn | 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
    19%
  • Ploughman
    9%
  • Iron steel Worker
    9%
  • Marine Insurance Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Private Means
    6%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    3%

What Thorburn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 35,000 census records available for the last name Thorburn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thorburn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thorburn

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Thorburn. 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 Thorburn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Thorburn. For the veterans among your Thorburn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thorburn military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thorburn family history

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What is the average Thorburn lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Thorburn life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Thorburn in 1955 was 44, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thorburn

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thorburn 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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