Surname Thorley - Meaning and Origin

Thorley: What does the surname Thorley mean?

The last name Thorley is an English patronymic surname derived from a medieval female personal name, “Thor”, itself derived from the Old Norse Þórr, the name of the Scandinavian god of thunder.

The name dates to at least the 13th century and was widely popular in England in the Middle Ages. It was primarily used as a male name, but occasionally also given to females.

Thorley can trace its origin to various places in England, notably in counties such as Leicestershire, Cheshire, and Bedfordshire. In some cases, it is also thought to be derived from a place name such as Torley in Cheshire.

The English surname Thorley is of patronymic origin, meaning “son of Thor”. Early records of the name indicate that it was occasionally given to children of Scandinavian parents, as a tribute to the legendary god. It was also occasionally used as an occupational surname, to refer to someone who worked in Thor’s service.

Today, Thorley is used as a first or last name all over the world. It is especially popular in the United States and Canada. Notable people named Thorley include American actress Dorthy Thorley, British actor Steven Thorley, and Canadian Bruce Thorley, former mayor of Vancouver.

Thorley: Where does the name Thorley come from?

The last name Thorley can be primarily found in English-speaking countries, particularly the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. According to the Forebears website, Thorley is the 1262nd most common surname in the United Kingdom, and is mainly found in Southern England. Forebears also estimates that there are over 9,000 people with the Thorley last name living in the United Kingdom.

In Canada the last name Thorley is somewhat less common, but still ranks among the top 4000 names. As of 2009, there were 1,609 people with the Thorley last name living in Canada.

In Australia the Thorley name is more scarce, but still ranks in the top 11,000 surnames. Ancestry.com estimates that in 2011 there were 325 Australians with the Thorley surname.

Outside of English-speaking countries, Thorley is less common and difficult to trace. For example, Italy only has eight people with the Thorley last name in their records, while the Netherlands, France and Germany have very small numbers of people with the Thorley name. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Thorley name has a strong presence in the English-speaking countries today.

Variations of the surname Thorley

Thorley is a surname of English origin, derived from an old Anglo-Saxon name meaning "Thorn-Leah," or "clearing full of thorns." The surname itself may have been derived from a location such as a field or meadow with many thorns.

Variants and alternative spellings of the name Thorley (or Thorly) include Thoreley, Thorly, Thorleye, Thorelie, Thurlay, Thurley and Thurly.

The surname Thorley is very rare and found primarily in England. It is most commonly found in the North West of England and Lancashire county.

Surnames of similar origin include Thorney, Thorniley, Thornley, Thurlow and Thurlowe.

The Thorley surname is also found as an Irish variant as Torley, O’Torley, and O’Thornley, which is found in counties Mayo and Galway in the West of Ireland.

The Thorley surname is also found as an Americanisation of the oft-seen Torlay spelling.

Variations in pronunciation of the surname Thorley may have arisen due to the elements of the language it was derived from as well as its geographical evolution. The modern pronunciation of the surname therefore may also include forms such as ‘Thawley’ or ‘Thoreley’.

Famous people with the name Thorley

• English actor and former model Robert Thorley
• American biochemistry professor and former university president Kirk Thorley
• British actor Max Thorley
• American actress Taryn Thorley
• English actor Philip Thorley
• English actor, director and producer Jonathan Thorley
• English actor, author and producer Dominic Thorley
• English actor, director and producer Michael Thorley
• English actor, director and producer David Thorley
• English actress and model Lola Thorley
• English actor, director and producer Richard Thorley
• British geographer and academic Susan Thorley
• British voice actress, film producer and film director Jessica Thorley
• American actress and model Jennifer Thorley
• British actor and voice actor Heath Thorley

Other surnames

Thorla