Surname Thorkinton - Meaning and Origin

Thorkinton: What does the surname Thorkinton mean?

The surname Thorkinton doesn't appear to have a definitive meaning based on known sources. It seems to be a very rare or perhaps even non-existent surname. If this name does exist, it's likely of English origin due to the presence of the common English surname component "ton," which means "town." The "Thorkin" part of the name might be derived from the Old Norse personal name "Þórketill," which has been Anglicized as "Thorketil" or "Thorkil." This name combines "Þórr" (Thor, the Norse god of thunder) with "ketill" ("kettle," often interpreted metaphorically as "helmet"). If this is correct, "Thorkinton" might mean "town of the descendants of Thorketil." However, without verifiable sources, this is purely speculative. As a best practice, it's advisable to get the origin and meaning of unique or uncommon surnames like Thorkinton from family histories or professional genealogists.

Thorkinton: Where does the name Thorkinton come from?

The last name Thorkinton is not particularly common today. This is likely due to the fact that it is a relatively rare surname in general. The name appears to originate in the United Kingdom, as the earliest known records of Thorkinton families are found in the old parochial registers of Somerset and Norfolk in England dating back to the 16th century.

The name has also been found in other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, and India. It is likely that Thorkintons migrated from the United Kingdom in the 1700s and 1800s as part of the larger wave of European colonization of North America, Australia, and India. However, there is no clear evidence of such a connection.

Today, there may be very few people with the surname Thorkinton. According to some estimates, there are only a few dozen individuals with the name in all of the United States. It appears that the majority of individuals with the surname are scattered across the world, and the numbers are likely too small to call the name common.

Variations of the surname Thorkinton

The surname Thorkinton may have several variants, spellingsand surnames of the same origin. Thorkinton is an alternate spelling for the surname Thorrington, an English surname that derives from the name of a place in Essex. Variants of this name include: Thorring, Thorringe, Thovington, Torington, Toroington, and Thorington.

The earliest records of the surname Thorkinton date back to thecommon law period of medieval England. Some early records include a John Thorrington from Oxfordshire who was registered in the Hundred Rolls in 1273, and Roger de Thorrington, who appears as a witness in the Conveyance Rolls of 1141. Based on these records, it is believed that the Thorrington family had been well established in the English aristocracy since at least the 12th century.

Many of the variants of the surname Thorkinton originated from locational nicknames, which originated when a person moved from one place to another. For instance, a person residing in Thorington in Suffolk might be called Thorington, while a person from Thorrington in Essex would be referred to as Thorrington.

This surname is also believed to have originated from the Nordic phrase “thorus”, meaning a “thunderous person”. This may explain why the variant spelling Thorringe was common in East Anglia, where many Nordic immigrants settled during the Viking period.

Variants of Thorkinton may also be found in other parts of the English-speaking world, including Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In Scotland, one variant of this surname is Thovinton, while in Ireland, Thoroughston and Thorton are found. In the United States, Torrington is a fairly common variant of Thorkinton, appearing in records as far back as the late 1800s.

Famous people with the name Thorkinton

• Stephen Thorkleton: English professional footballer
• Joe Thorkleton: American professional football player for the New York Giants
• Sophia Thorkleton: Actress and model
• Peter Thorkleton: British Radio Broadcaster and DJ
• George Thorkleton: American actor and musician
• John Thorkleton: British sci-fi writer
• Steve Thorkleton: Comedian and actor
• Dave Thorkleton: Jazz musician and composer
• David Thorkleton: English actor
• Blaize Thorkleton: Australian Youtuber and travel vlogger
• Margaret Thorkleton: Australian author and poet
• Rafe Thorkleton: Animator and Video Game Designer
• Caroline Thorkleton: Painter and Illustrator
• Charles Thorkleton: Bishop of Southwark
• Bob Thorkleton: American Prime Time Television Producer
• Mary Thorkleton: British politician
• Gill Thorkleton: British actress and model
• Marcus Thorkleton: British landscape photographer
• Eileen Thorkleton: British contemporary artist
• Kevin Thorkleton: British architect

Other surnames

Thorkington