Contents [hide]

Thornton History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Thornton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Thornton

What does the name Thornton mean?

The Thornton surname is habitational name from any of the numerous places throughout England and Scotland; for example, the parish of Thornton in the county of Yorkshire. These place names derive from the Old English words "thorn," meaning "thorn bushes" and "tun," meaning "enclosure" or "town."

Early Origins of the Thornton family

The surname Thornton was first found in the Mearns, also known as Kincardineshire (Gaelic: A' Mhaoirne), a former county on the northeast coast of the Grampian region of Scotland, and part of the Aberdeenshire Council Area since 1996.

One of the first records of the name was Laurence de Thorneton in C. 1204-1211, who was witness to a deed by Henry, abbot of Arbroath. A few years later, John of Thornton, burgess of Montrose, and Johan de Thomtone of the county of Kincardyn en Miernes, rendered homage to King Edward I in 1296. A few years later in 1299, Walter de Thorneton, was a Scottish prisoner of war, who was exchanged for an esquire of Sir William de Cathecart. 1

Further to the south in England, or more specifically Yorkshire, "the explanation of so many Thorntons in the Yorkshire directories lies in the fact that there are at least three Thorntons in that county including Thornton-in-Craven, and Thornton-in-Lonsdale. " 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 confirmed the Yorkshire existence of the family there at that time (Hugh de Thorneton and Richard de Thorneton but also included a lone Cambridgeshire listing: Roger de Thoratone. 2

Another source confirms the Yorkshire significance: "Yorkshire abounds with places so called. Thorne appears to have been an old Anglo-Saxon personal name; and hence Thornton may mean the homestead of Thorne." 3

Early History of the Thornton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thornton research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1272, 1296, 1329, 1398, 1399, 1425, 1455, 1491, 1554 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Thornton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thornton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Thornton, Thornten, Thorneton, Thorntoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Thornton family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thornton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thornton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Thornton is the 354^th most popular surname with an estimated 77,097 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Thornton is ranked the 378^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,778 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Thornton is the 545^th popular surname with an estimated 1,287 people with that name. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Thornton as 313^rd with 19,436 people. 7

Migration of the Thornton family to Ireland

Some of the Thornton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thornton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thornton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. James Thornton, who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove"
Joanna Thornton, aged 44, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellin" 8
Robert Thornton, aged 11, who arrived in New England aboard the ship "Elizabeth" in 1635 8
Walter Thornton, aged 36, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellin" 8
Peter Thornton, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thornton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Thornton, who settled in New York in 1705
Grace Thornton, who landed in Virginia in 1713 8
Ann Thornton, who arrived in New England in 1717 8
Margaret Thornton, aged 19, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1775 8

Thornton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Thornton, aged 66, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
Seagood Thornton, aged 30, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 8
Nicholas Thornton, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 8
John Thornton, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 8
Mary Thornton, aged 42, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thornton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Jane Thornton, aged 18, Scottish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mrs. Margaret Thornton, aged 59, Scottish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Miss Marion Thornton, aged 59, Scottish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Mr. John Thornton, aged 32, Scottish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Miss Marion Thornton, aged 10, Scottish settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thornton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thornton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Christopher Thornton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. John Thornton U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Mr. Luke D Thornton U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 9
Mr. Matthew Thornton U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784, nephew of Matthew Thornton (1714-1803) who signed the Declaration of Independence 9
Mr. Peter Thornton U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 9

Thornton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Remember Thornton, who arrived in Canada in 1830
Bleeker B Thornton, who arrived in Canada in 1830
Benjamin Thornton, who landed in Canada in 1832
Reuben S Thornton, who landed in Canada in 1832
Brian Thornton, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Cupid" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thornton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Thornton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ellen Thornton, (b. 1790), aged 23, Irish convict who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Sarah Thornton, (b. 1812), aged 2, English settler travelling with mother Sarah Thorn (Thornton), transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Samuel Thornton, Jr., (b. 1814), English settler born aboard the ship "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Malachi Thornton, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Henry Thornton, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thornton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Thornton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thornton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Hamilla Mitchell" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th November 1853 14
William Thornton, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
Miss Jane Thornton, Scottish settler from Whitburn travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 29th April 1858 15
Mr. Thomas Thornton, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 29th April 1858 15
Miss Mary Ann Thornton, (b. 1859), aged Infant, English settler, from Durham travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Thornton (post 1700) +

Charles Bates "Tex" Thornton (1913-1981), American business executive, founder of Litton Industries, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Billy Bob Thornton (b. 1955), American Academy Award winning, two-time Golden Globe Award winning, Daytime Emmy Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominated actor, filmmaker, and singer-songwriter
Matthew Thornton (1714-1803), Irish-born Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire, President of the New Hampshire Provincial Congress in 1775, Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1776
Sidney Thornton (1954-2023), American NFL football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1977-1982)
William Edgar Thornton (1929-2020), American NASA astronaut with over 313 hours in space, he flew on Challenger twice, the STS-8 and STS-51B missions 16
William M. Thornton, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Montana State Senate 5th District, 1889-92 17
William Taylor Thornton (1843-1916), American politician, Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1891; Governor of New Mexico Territory, 1893-97 17
William L. Thornton, American politician, Member of New York State Senate 26th District, 1899-1902 17
William J. Thornton, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Manchester, 1933-36, 1939-40 17
William J. Thornton, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 20th District, 1930, 1932; Chair of Pike County Republican Party, 1950 17
... (Another 98 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Thornton family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Christopher G Thornton (1961-1985), American Sergeant from Tacoma Park, Maryland, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 18

USS Arizona

Mr. George Hayward Thornton, American Gunner's Mate Third Class from Mississippi, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 19

Sources +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) William Thornton. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/thornton-w.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html