# Thornley

> English word · Proper noun · frequency rank #92,151

## Definitions
1. A placename:
2. A placename:
3. A habitational surname from Old English.

## Etymology
From Old English þorn (“thorn, thorny bush”) + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”). Equivalent to thorn + -ley (“lea”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/thornley