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Thurston Family History

Thurston Name Meaning

English (mainly East Anglia):: from the Anglo-Norman Anglo-Scandinavian and Middle English personal name Thurstan Thorsten (Old Norse Thórsteinn Thorsten Anglicized as Old English Thurstān; see Thorstensen ). habitational name from Thurston in Suffolk so called from the genitive case of the Old Norse personal name Thóri (see Thor ) + Old English tūn ‘enclosure settlement’.

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


Similar surnames: Hurston, Harston, Tarlton, Burston, Turton, Whiston, Ruston, Thornton

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Thurston family from?

You can see how Thurston families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thurston family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thurston families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 520 Thurston families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Thurston's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Thurston families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thurston surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Thurston 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 Thurston. 10% of Thurston men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Thurston women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thurston were Gardener and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Thurston | 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
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Gardener
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Thurston family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 138,000 census records available for the last name Thurston. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thurston census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Thurston

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Thurston. 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 Thurston immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20,000 military records available for the last name Thurston. For the veterans among your Thurston ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Thurston lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Thurston life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Thurston in 1942 was 43, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thurston

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