A surname of English origin, or variant spelling of 'thorn.' Often used as a place name or personal name.
From Old English þorn meaning 'thorn bush' or 'sharp point.' Originally denoted someone who lived near a thorn bush or in a thorny place. The 'e' ending is a Middle English addition for distinction or emphasis.
The letter þ (thorn) used in the original spelling was one of the last Old English letters to disappear from regular use, surviving in some manuscripts until the 15th century. Many English surnames ending in 'thorne' indicate ancestral homes near distinctive thorny landmarks that served as navigation points in medieval times.
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