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Thistle Family History

Thistle Name Meaning

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. In some cases an Americanized form of Norwegian Tistel: habitational name from the farm Tistel in Sogn same origin as 1 above. Possibly also an Americanized form of German Distel .

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


Similar surnames: Tritle, Whistler, Tickle, Tintle, Tingle, Shartle, Hittle, Bustle

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Where is the Thistle family from?

You can see how Thistle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thistle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Thistle families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 29 Thistle families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Thistle's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Thistle families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thistle surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Thistle ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Thistle. 54% of Thistle men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Thistle | 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
    54%
  • Laborer
    24%
  • Labourer
    24%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Thistle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 10,000 census records available for the last name Thistle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thistle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Thistle

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Thistle. 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 Thistle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Thistle. For the veterans among your Thistle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thistle military records

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What is the average Thistle lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Thistle life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Thistle in 1943 was 36, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thistle

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