Thornley is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Ben Thornley (born 1975), English footballer David Thornley (1935–1978), Irish politician Douglas Thornley (born 1959), American architect Georges William Thornley (1857–1935), French painter and printmaker Ian Thornley, leader of Thornley, a Canadian rock band Irvine Thornley (1883–1955), English footballer Jeni Thornley (born 1948), Australian feminist documentary filmmaker John Thornley (footballer, born 1885), English footballer John Thornley (footballer, born 1875), English footballer Kerry Wendell Thornley (1938–1998), American Discordian, anarchist, objectivist, Zen Buddhist Patricia Thornley, British engineer Peter Thornley (born 1941), English professional wrestler who fought under the name Kendo Nagasaki Victoria Thornley (born 1987), Welsh rower