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Thorne Family History

Thorne Surname Meaning

English (mainly southern): variant of Thorn. Irish: adopted for various Irish names containing an element meaning ‘thorn’. Compare Thornton.

Swedish (mainly Thörne): ornamental or perhaps topographic name from törne ‘rose bush’ or thorn, an ornamental spelling of torn ‘thorn bush’.

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


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Where is the Thorne family from?

You can see how Thorne families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thorne family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thorne families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,132 Thorne families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Thorne's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Thorne families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thorne 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 Thorne 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 Thorne. 8% of Thorne men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Thorne women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thorne were Builders Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Thorne | 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
    8%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Thorne family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 187,000 census records available for the last name Thorne. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thorne census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thorne

Passenger Lists

There are 39,000 immigration records available for the last name Thorne. 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 Thorne immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23,000 military records available for the last name Thorne. For the veterans among your Thorne ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thorne military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thorne family history

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What is the average Thorne lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Thorne life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1949, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Thorne in 1943 was 46, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thorne

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Thorne 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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