# Thornton (surname)

Thornton is a surname found in Ireland and Britain.

## Bearers of the surname

* Abraham Thornton
* Al Thornton (born 1983), American basketball player
* Alfred Thornton (1853–1906), English footballer from the 1870s
* Alice Thornton (1626–1707), British autobiographer
* Andre Thornton (born 1949), American baseball player
* Andrew Thornton (born 1972), British jockey
* Andrew C. Thornton II (1944–1985), American narcotics officer, lawyer, and drug smuggler
* Anne Jane Thornton (1817–1877), cabin boy and ship's cook
* Anne Thornton (born 1981), American pastry chef
* Archibald Thornton (1921–2004), Scottish academic and historian
* A. G. Thornton (1886–1969), British novelist and journalist
* Sadik Hakim (born Argonne Thornton, 1919–1983) American jazz pianist and composer
* Barry Thornton, RAF officer
* Barry Thornton (cricketer) (born 1941), Australian cricketer
* Big Mama Thornton (1926–1984), American singer and songwriter
* Billy Bob Thornton (born 1955), American actor
* Bonnell Thornton (1725 – 1768), English poet, essayist, and critic
* Bret Thornton (born 1983), Australian rules footballer
* Bruce Thornton (born 1953), American classicist
** Bruce Thornton (cornerback)
* Charley Thornton (1936–2004), American college athletics administrator
* David Thornton (musician) (born 1978), British euphonium player
* David Thornton (actor) (born 1953), American actor and husband to Cyndi Lauper
* David Thornton (American football) (born 1978), linebacker for the Tennessee Titans
* De'mario Monte Thornton, real name of Raz-B, member of boy band B2K
* Dont'e Thornton (born 2002), American football player
* Duncan Thornton (born 1962), Canadian author, speaker, and futurist
* Edward Thornton (disambiguation)
* Eleanor Velasco Thornton (1880–1915), British actress and model
* Elizabeth Thornton (1940 – 12 July 2010), British-Canadian writer
* Ella May Thornton (1885-1971), American librarian
* Flora L. Thornton (1913–2010), American actress and philanthropist
* Frank Thornton (1921–2013), English actor
* George Thornton (disambiguation)
* Glenys Thornton, Baroness Thornton
* Grant Thornton
* Henry Thornton (disambiguation)
** Henry Thornton (abolitionist) (1760–1815), campaigner against the slave trade
** Henry Thornton (railroader) (1871–1933), president of Canadian National Railway
* Hugh Thornton (American football) (born 1991), American football player
* James Thornton (disambiguation)
** James Thornton (naval officer) (1826–1875)
** James Worth Thornton, businessman and son of Sir Henry Worth Thornton
** Jim Thornton (born 1965), American announcer, news anchor, and voice actor
* Joe Thornton (born 1979), Canadian ice hockey player
* John L. Thornton (born 1954), American business man
* John R. Thornton (1846–1917), American politician
* John Wingate Thornton (1818–1878), American lawyer, historian, author
* John Thornton (1720–1790), British merchant and Christian philanthropist
* Kalen Thornton (born 1982), American football player
* Kate Thornton (born 1973), English television presenter
* Kathryn Thornton (born 1952), American scientist and astronaut
* Keith Thornton (born 1963), American hip hop artist Kool Keith
* Kelly Thornton (born 1997), Irish actress
* Kelly Thornton (born 1965), Canadian theatre director and dramaturge
* Kevin Thornton (chef), Irish Michelin starred chef
* Kevin Thornton (footballer) (born 1986), Irish footballer
* Khyri Thornton (born 1989), American football player
* Kirk Thornton, American voice actor, director and script writer
* Kristin Thornton (born 1988), Australian rules footballer
* Lawrence Thornton (born 1937), American novelist and critic
* Leslie Thornton (born 1951), American filmmaker and artist
* Leslie Thornton (sculptor) (1925–2016), English sculptor
* Lou Thornton (born 1963), former major league baseball player
* Malcolm Thornton (born 1939), British politician
* Marcia Thornton Jones (born 1958), American children's author
* Marcus Thornton (disambiguation)
* Mark Thornton (born 1960), American economist
* Matt Thornton (disambiguation)
* Matthew Thornton (1714–1803), first president of New Hampshire House of Representatives
* Melanie Thornton (1967–2001), American musician
* Melody Thornton (born 1984), American singer and television personality
* Merle Thornton (1930–2024), Australian feminist activist
* Michael Thornton (disambiguation)
** Michael B. Thornton (born 1954), American judge
* Omar Thornton, murderer of 8 and suicide, see Hartford Distributors shooting
* Patricia H. Thornton (born 1960s), American organizational theorist
* Paul Thornton, Live Events Producer
* Randy Thornton (born 1964),
* Richard Thornton (1776–1865), English millionaire
* Robert Thornton (disambiguation)
* Roger Thornton (died 1430), British politician
* Samantha Thornton (born 1966), Australian basketball player
* Samuel Thornton (disambiguation)
* Sara Thornton (disambiguation)
* Sarah L. Thornton (born 1965), cultural sociologist
* Scott Thornton (born 1971), Canadian ice hockey player
* Sean Thornton (born 1983), Irish professional footballer
* Shawn Thornton (born 1977), Canadian ice hockey player
* Sigrid Thornton (born 1959), Australian actress
* Simon Thornton (born 1977), Irish professional golfer
* Sidney Thornton (1954-2023), American football player
* Terrence Thornton (born 1977), birth name of American rapper and record executive Pusha T
* Tiffany Thornton (born 1986), American actress
* Tim Thornton (bishop) (born 1957), Bishop of Truro, and of Sherborne
* Tim Thornton (double bassist) (born 1988), British jazz double bassist
* Tim Thornton (musician, born 1973), English drummer, guitarist and novelist
* Tim Thornton (philosopher) (born 1966), British philosopher
* Trent Thornton (born 1993), American baseball player
* Tyquan Thornton (born 2000), American football player
* Walter Thornton (1875–1960), American baseball player
* Walter Thornton (cricketer) (1858–1915), English cricketer
* Warwick Thornton, Australian cinematographer and director
* William Thornton (disambiguation)
* Zach Thornton (born 1973), American soccer player
* Zack Thornton (born 1988), American baseball player

### Fictional characters

* Sean Thornton, a character portrayed by John Wayne in The Quiet Man

### First name

* Thornton Wilder, American playwright