Researching Karen Thorndike
Delve into the history of Karen Thorndike using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 239 people with the Thorndike surname? In that year Thorndike was ranked number 3340 for popularity in the UK. |
Good news! There is already a One Name Study on the Thorndike surname.

The name Karen means "pure" and is of Greek origin.
Records of Karen Thorndike on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of Karen Thorndike in your family tree. A vast range of data is available to search ranging from census records, births, deaths and marriages, military records and immigration records to name but a few. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for Karen Thorndike. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for Karen Thorndike. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for Karen Thorndike. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for Karen Thorndike. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for Karen Thorndike. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Thorndike ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Thorndike Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for Karen Thorndike and the Thorndike Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Thorndike Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Thorndike family tree.
Search Parish Records for Karen Thorndike at Find My Past.
Look at for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of Karen Thorndike using the FreeBMD database.
Search Genealogy Bank for Karen Thorndike records.
Look at MyHeritage for Karen Thorndike information.
Investigate the LDS Database for records about Karen Thorndike.
Research the Thorndike surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Thorndike Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 177 people with the Thorndike surname in the UK? Thorndike is now ranked number 3876 for popularity in the UK. |
Thorndike Family Tree Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Look at the WikiTree database for user contributed records for Karen Thorndike.
Study MyTrees for information on the Thorndike family and people looking to contact living Thorndike relations.
Check out One Great Family for Thorndike records submitted by people who are already researching the Thorndike Family Tree.
Find Karen Thorndike from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Thorndike Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Thorndike surname using Genealogy.com forums .
Miscellaneous Thorndike Databases
Check out the Ellis Island Database for information on Karen Thorndike. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called Karen Thorndike
Karen Thorndike
Karen Thorndike, born in Snohomish, Washington in 1942, holds the Guinness record as the first American woman to sail solo around the world without assistance. Her voyage was 33,000 miles, which she started at age 53 completed in 1998 in a 36-foot yacht named Amelia after Amelia Earhart. The trip took her two years and two weeks, but was not done continuously; for example, she had a three-month hospitalization for angina pectoris after her trip began.Her interest in sailing began in the early 1980s. Thorndike took some sailing lessons, began racing and was soon delivering boats from Hawaii to Seattle. During one of those trips, her dream of circumnavigating began to take shape. However, when she confided in a crew member and friend about her plans, he told her, “That’s impossible. You have no idea what you’d be getting yourself into.” After that, Thorndike kept her plans to herself until she bought her boat.During her around-the-world trip she also sailed around the five great capes. This is what qualified her for the Guinness. Tania Aebi had previously been recognized as the first American woman to sail around the world alone in 1987, but the recognition was unofficial. Guinness did not recognize her trip for two reasons: first, she went through the Panama Canal, which required assistance. Second, she sailed with a friend for eighty miles while in the South Pacific.
Due to Karen's achievement she was interviewed for the book The Heart of Success: Conversations with Notable Achievers by Dan G. Tripps. In 1999 she was awarded the Cruising Club of America's Blue Water Medal. She also received a Guinness World Records certificate acknowledging her accomplishment.
Thorndike is still alive and resides in Washington State.
Source: Karen Thorndike, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Thorndike
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Tarantino Tarnutzer Tarrant Ternott Ternouth Thorndale Thornden Thorndycraft Thorndyke Thornett Thornthwaite Thornton Thornton-Dewhirst Thournot Thournout Tornatore Toronto Torrent Tramutola Trand Trant Tranter Trantham Trantor Trantow Trauntvein Treend Tremathack Tremathick Trematick Trembath Tremethack Trendafilov Trendell Trendelman Trendle Trenouth Trenoweth Trent Trentacosta Trenter Trentfield Trenton Trentor Trenwith Trimbath Trindall Trinder Trindle Trinidad Troendle Trombetti Trommetter Trundell Trundle Trundler Trundley Trundy Turentine Turknett Turntine Turrentine





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