Thurber
An English-language surname of uncertain origin, probably a variant or altered form of an older name beginning with Thor- or Thur-.
The #7,825 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,955 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is not securely explained in the historical sources provided. It appears in 19th-century surname lists alongside other names beginning with Thur- or Thor-, which suggests it may be a spelling variant, local form, or later alteration of an older Germanic or English name. A tempting connection is to the old Norse/English divine name Thor, but the evidence in these excerpts is too thin to make that more than a cautious guess.
History
The name is attested in English-language surname compilations by the mid-19th century, but those works here treat it only as a listed form rather than explaining its derivation. In modern use it is best known in the United States, where it survives as a relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname appears in mid-19th-century reference lists, showing that it was already established enough to be cataloged even when its origin was unclear.
From the historical record
“is a German writer on chemistry, named Thaer), Thedander, Thiery, Thisenhausen, Throop, Thugh- NEss, Thurber, Thwing, Tibbles, Ticknor, Tidd, Tier- nay and Tierney, Tigue, Tillinghast, Tilly, Tilyou, Tlmmerman, Timeny or Timney ; Tirrell, Tirrill, and Tyrell ; Tivnan, Tjader, Todd, Toel, Tolbitt, Tolkan, Tommell…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)