2000
#78,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Thornquist
A locational surname derived from a dwelling near a thorny area or overgrown thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 290 Americans carry the last name Thornquist. That puts it at #80,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,181,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thornquist surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
290
1 in 1,181,912
Census rank
#80,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
253
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 253 bearers of the surname Thornquist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thornquist
The surname Thornquist has its roots in Scandinavia, specifically Sweden. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "þorn" meaning "thorn" and "kvistr" meaning "branch" or "twig." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a thorny thicket or bush.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Thornquist can be found in the Swedish Church records from the late 16th century. In these records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Thorneqwist" and "Thornequist." This variation in spelling was common during that time due to the lack of standardized orthography.
The name Thornquist has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Lars Thornquist, a Swedish merchant and shipowner who lived in the late 17th century (1642-1711). He played a significant role in the establishment of the Swedish East India Company and contributed to the country's maritime trade.
Another prominent figure with the surname Thornquist was Nils Thornquist, a Swedish artist and illustrator born in 1858. He is renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations, particularly those depicting scenes from Swedish folklore and mythology. His works helped preserve and promote the country's cultural heritage.
In the 20th century, Bror Thornquist (1907-1994) was a Swedish architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the development of the modern city of Malmö, designing several notable buildings and contributing to the city's urban planning efforts.
The name Thornquist can also be found in other parts of the world, likely due to emigration from Sweden. One notable example is Clarence Thornquist (1890-1957), an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan and later coached at several universities, including Colgate and Ohio State.
Additionally, Sigvard Thornquist (1920-2005) was a Swedish-American mathematician and computer scientist. He made significant contributions to the field of numerical analysis and was known for his work on mathematical software and algorithms.
While the surname Thornquist may have evolved over time and spread to different parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to Scandinavia, specifically Sweden, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for those residing near thorny bushes or thickets.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thornquist
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Thornquist bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Thornquist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 223
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 10
- Two or more races4.0% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thornquist
Thornquist appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#79,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 240
+14 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 789 places
2020
#80,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
+13 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 1,477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #78,549 | 226 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,338 | 240 | 0.08 | +14 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 789 places |
| 2020 | #80,815 | 253 | 0.08 | +13 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 1,477 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Thornquist surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #79,338 | #80,815 | -1.9% |
| Count | 240 | 253 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thornquist bearers went from 240 to 253 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 1,477 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,338 to #80,815.
FAQ
Thornquist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thornquist?
Name Census estimates that about 290 living Americans carry the surname Thornquist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,181,912 residents.
How common is Thornquist?
Thornquist ranks #80,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 253 people with the surname Thornquist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (290), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Thornquist.
Has Thornquist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thornquist went from 240 recorded bearers to 253. That is an increase of 13 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #79,338 to #80,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Thornquist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thornquist, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thornquist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thornquist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (4.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Thornquist (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Thornquist mean?
A locational surname derived from a dwelling near a thorny area or overgrown thicket. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Thornquist (0.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Thornquist?
If you just want to know how many people are called Thornquist, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.