Thornton
A boys’ name of Old English origin, meaning town with thorn bushes or hawthorn trees.
Babies a year
13
the US, 2017
Rarity
Very rare
among names in use
US popularity
—
outside the top 1000
UK popularity
—
outside the ONS list
Thornton by the numbers
Thornton was given to 13 American babies in 2017, the most recent full year we hold.
Its American peak was 75 babies in 1921, so it is a 1920s name that has since fallen a long way.
Spelled almost the same
Other names in the records within a letter or two of Thornton. Close spellings are not always related names, but they are usually worth seeing together.
- Thurstonthor's stone; stone of the thunder god11 in the US (2017)
- Thorstenthor's stone; scandinavian name element8 in the US (2017)
- Thorsonson of thor the thunder god6 in the US (2017)
- Thompsonson of Tom; son of twin59 in the US (2017)
- Thomasontwin; patronymic form of Thomas7 in the US (2017)
- Thorbjornthor's bear5 in the US (2017)
Other names that mean a tree
Like Thornton, each of these has a tree in its meaning. Different names, different histories, the same idea.
- Oliverolive tree; peace3,154 in England and Wales (2025)
- Hazelthe hazel tree; hazel-eyed5,019 in the US (2017)
- Rowanlittle red one; the rowan tree1,398 in England and Wales (2025)
- Willowthe willow tree; grace, flexibility1,384 in England and Wales (2025)
- Ashtonash tree settlement3,129 in the US (2017)
- Ashleyash tree meadow2,549 in the US (2017)
Names about as common as Thornton
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