2000
#2,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,918
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.53
Uncommon Last name
Thurston
Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's stone," referring to a stone associated with the Norse god Thor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,607 Americans carry the last name Thurston. That puts it at #2,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,639 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thurston 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thurston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,639
Census rank
#2,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,482 bearers of the surname Thurston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thurston
The surname Thurston originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "þunor" meaning thunder and "tun" meaning an enclosure or farm, thus suggesting it may have originally referred to someone who lived at a location where thunder was commonly heard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Thurston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a settlement called "Thurstonestonam" in Suffolk, which likely derived its name from an early bearer of the Thurston surname.
During the 12th century, a notable individual named Geoffrey Thurston served as the Archdeacon of Norwich from 1175 to 1200. He played a significant role in the administration of the Norwich Diocese and was a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 13th century, a place called Thurston Ville existed in Norfolk, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and geographical locations. This place name likely originated from an individual with the surname Thurston who owned or resided in that area.
Sir John Thurston, who lived from 1437 to 1511, was a notable figure during the Wars of the Roses. He fought alongside Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and was later knighted for his loyalty and bravery.
Another prominent individual with the surname Thurston was Robert Thurston, born in 1608. He was an English Puritan minister who immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts.
Throughout the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname Thurston have been observed, including Thurstan, Thurstone, and Thurstane. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and variations in pronunciation over time.
Overall, the surname Thurston has deep roots in English history, tracing back to the medieval period and reflecting connections to specific geographic locations and notable individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thurston
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Thurston 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 Thurston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 11,985
- Black or African American9.8% · 1,416
- Two or more races3.6% · 520
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 431
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thurston
Thurston 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
#2,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,234
+316 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 5.16
Rank movement Down 151 places
2020
#2,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,482
-752 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 4.85
Rank movement Down 54 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,234 | 14,918 | 5.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,385 | 15,234 | 5.16 | +316 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 151 places |
| 2020 | #2,439 | 14,482 | 4.85 | -752 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 54 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 Thurston 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 | #2,385 | #2,439 | -2.3% |
| Count | 15,234 | 14,482 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.16 | 4.85 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thurston bearers went from 15,234 to 14,482 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 54 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,385 to #2,439.
FAQ
Thurston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thurston?
Name Census estimates that about 16,607 living Americans carry the surname Thurston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,639 residents.
How common is Thurston?
Thurston ranks #2,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,482 people with the surname Thurston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Thurston.
Has Thurston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thurston went from 15,234 recorded bearers to 14,482. That is a decrease of 752 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,385 to #2,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Thurston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thurston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Thurston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (11,985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thurston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Black (9.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Thurston (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 Thurston mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Thor's stone," referring to a stone associated with the Norse god Thor. 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 Thurston (4.85 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 have the last name Thurston?
Find out how many people are called Thurston on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.