Explore the Family Name Thistle
The meaning of Thistle
1. English (Yorkshire): apparently from Middle English thistel ‘thistle’ (Old English thistel), either as a nickname, or as a topographic name for someone who lived in a place overgrown with thistles. 2. In some cases an Americanized form of Norwegian Tistel: habitational name from the farm Tistel in Sogn, same origin as 1 above. 3. Possibly also an Americanized form of German Distel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Thistle in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Thistle has seen an increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname moved from 25,845 in 2000 to 24,762 in 2010 indicating a rise in prevalence of 4.19%. Additionally, the count of individuals with the surname increased by 12.53%, from 894 to 1006 during the same period. This resulted in a slight elevation in the proportion per 100,000 people having this surname, from 0.33 to 0.34, marking a 3.03% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,845 | #24,762 | 4.19% |
| Count | 894 | 1,006 | 12.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.33 | 0.34 | 3.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Thistle
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Thistle as per the Decennial U.S. Census data, several changes can be noted between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased by 2.74% from 97.09% to 94.43%. Meanwhile, the number of individuals associating themselves with two or more races increased by 78.21%, going from 0.78% to 1.39%. The representation of Hispanic ethnicity also experienced a significant jump of 168.54%, moving from 0.89% to 2.39%. There was a small increase within the Black community, from 0.78% to 1.09%, equating to a change of 39.74%. An introduction of Asian/Pacific Islander identity was recorded in 2010 at 0.70%, which was not present in the 2000 data. There was no change observed for American Indian and Alaskan Native identity, remaining at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.09% | 94.43% | -2.74% |
| Hispanic | 0.89% | 2.39% | 168.54% |
| Two or More Races | 0.78% | 1.39% | 78.21% |
| Black | 0.78% | 1.09% | 39.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.7% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |