Explore the Family Name Thornley
The meaning of Thornley
English (mainly Lancashire): habitational name from Thornley in Lancashire, and perhaps also from Thornyleigh near Heaton in Leek (Staffordshire) and Thornleigh in Huddersfield (Yorkshire). The Lancashire name derives from Old English thornede ‘thorny’ + lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’. The other placenames derive from Old English thorn ‘thorn tree’ or thornig ‘thorny’ + lēah.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Thornley in the United States?
The surname Thornley showed a modest increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to data based on the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Thornley ranked as the 16,494th most popular surname, and by 2010 it had slightly dropped in rank to 16,624. Despite the drop in ranking, the count of individuals with the Thornley surname actually rose by 7.54 percent during this period, from 1,604 people to 1,725. The proportion of Thornleys per 100,000 people saw a minor decrease of 1.69 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,494 | #16,624 | -0.79% |
| Count | 1,604 | 1,725 | 7.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.59 | 0.58 | -1.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Thornley
In terms of ethnic identity, the Thornley surname is predominantly associated with individuals who identify as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In both 2000 and 2010, over 94 percent of Thornleys identified as White. However, there were some changes in other ethnic identities over this decade. The percentage of Thornleys identifying with two or more races saw a notable increase of 35.77 percent, while those identifying as Hispanic experienced a growth of 60.64 percent. On the other hand, the number of Thornleys who identified as Black decreased by 28.40 percent. There were no reported Thornleys identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.76% | 94.14% | -0.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.86% | 35.77% |
| Black | 2.43% | 1.74% | -28.4% |
| Hispanic | 0.94% | 1.51% | 60.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |