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Thorne Family History

Thorne Name 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


Similar surnames: Thorner, Thorn, Thornell, Thornes, Horne, Thore, Rhone, Horn, Thorley

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 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 1911 there were 185 Thorne families living in Ontario. This was about 33% of all the recorded Thorne's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Thorne families in 1911.
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.

What did your Thorne ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Thorne. 39% of Thorne men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Thorne women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thorne were Farmers Son and Teacher. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    39%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Farmers Son
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Milliner
    13%
  • Saleslady
    13%
  • Teacher
    13%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

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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

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