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Thornes Family History

Thornes Name Meaning

Norwegian: habitational name from any of the five farmsteads named Tornes probably from Old Norse Thórr (name of the Scandinavian thunder god) + nes ‘headland promontory’. English (Yorkshire): variant of Thorns .

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


Similar surnames: Fornes, Thorne, Horne, Tronnes, Thorley, Thorner, Thorn, Torney

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Thornes family from?

You can see how Thornes families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Thornes family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Thornes families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 9 Thornes families living in Ontario. This was about 64% of all the recorded Thornes's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Thornes families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Thornes surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Thornes ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Thornes. 60% of Thornes men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Thornes women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Thornes were Farm Laborer and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Thornes | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    60%
  • Waterman
    14%
  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farm Laborer
    14%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    34%
  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Teacher
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Thornes family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Thornes. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Thornes census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Thornes

Passenger Lists

There are 535 immigration records available for the last name Thornes. 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 Thornes immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 388 military records available for the last name Thornes. For the veterans among your Thornes ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Thornes military records

You've only scratched the surface of Thornes family history

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What is the average Thornes lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Thornes life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1966, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Thornes in 1963 was 72, and 64 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Thornes

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