Thurman
A surname most likely meaning “son of Thurmond/Thormod,” built on an old Norse-English personal name linked with Thor.
The #1,492 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,891 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as a shortened or altered form of Thurmond/Thormod. The older personal name appears to combine Thor, the Norse god, with a second element meaning “mood,” “spirit,” or “courage,” giving a sense like “Thor’s courage” or “Thor-minded.” In medieval English records, the surname could function as a patronymic, meaning “the son of Thormond.”
History
The name is found in medieval English records, and later forms such as Thurmond and Thurman appear side by side in historical surname collections. By the 19th century it was established in England, with local concentrations noted in places such as Norfolk and Suffolk. The modern American surname is usually explained as an inherited English import rather than an independently formed name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some early references spell the underlying medieval name with the Norse god Thor at its start, showing how old pagan personal names survived inside later Christian-era surnames.
From the historical record
“Thor, and + O.E. hlAw] THURMAN for Thurmond, q.v. THURWIOD 1 (Eng. and Scand.)THOR. Mood THURMOOD;[A.-Sax. Thurmod=0.^. Thor- mo'S-r: v. under Then, and -|- O.E. mdd = O.N. mdS-r, wrath, courage (mdod] Alan Thurmod. — Hund. Rolls.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)