Thornley Family History
Thornley Name Meaning
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.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022